


The Golden Quartet: The Prisoner of Azkaban

by IziWilson76



Series: The Golden Quartet [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A fifth marauder, F/M, Remus Lupin is a godfather
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-08-27 10:58:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 51
Words: 108,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8399089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IziWilson76/pseuds/IziWilson76
Summary: Third year is here! Quintessa Crosswell is back and this time, with her cousin, Johnnie as she journeys through another challenging year. To survive, she'll have to battle: puberty, frustrating hormones, possible crushes and a humongous mystery surrounding her past: She's half a Crosswell, but who is the other parent? Find out in one of the most enthralling books of the Golden Quartet!





	1. A Deal With the Devil's Wife

In the mysterious workspace of Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster himself was pacing away in his office, reflecting on the immense pile of possible events to come. Since word of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban had reached him, he was instantly reminded of all of those years of chaos and departures during the war. 

And speaking of departures, there was one that was fresh on everyone's mind in that time. Everyone who knew Morgan Crosswell at least. 

Deciding to go over a particular set of events leading to that departure, Dumbledore walked to his Pensieve, poured a special memory he acquired years ago, and plunged into a misty world of a memory.

_The Malfoy Mansion was beheld in the afternoon sunlight in it's rich and pureblood glory, as always. Especially when the Dark Lord was rising on his conquest to absolute power._

_One day in cold December of 1979, Lucius Malfoy was out serving the Dark Lord through his slithering ways while Narcissa, his wife, had a much more secretive plan in mind and it had barely played out._

_In the grand space that was the living room, another woman walked in with Narcissa. She was a woman in her 20's with blond hair, clear blue eyes and skin that was starting to show it's pregnant glow but her emotional state would say otherwise. She was worried and on her guard, from being on the run from Death Eaters constantly raiding villages and killing people. Half of her colleagues were already in hiding or dead.  She hadn't even talked with her best friend Lily Evans, who was also pregnant at the time_

" _Can I get you anything?" The Malfoy matriarch asked sweetly. "Something to eat or drink? I can get my house elf to do something."_

" _No_   _thanks_ _." said Morgan. "I'm quite fine. Where's Lucius? Creeping in the hallways as usual?"_

 _"Not this time_ _." replied Narcissa coolly. "I thought we could talk."_

_The two witches sat down on a comfortable leather couch while Morgan said, "I know that even though you support a monster and you somehow care about me , but what's happening it's between me and...him."_

" _Yes, of course" Narcissa said accordingly while pulling out a folder containing Morgan's file and picture._

" _What is that?" asked Morgan._

" _Oh I had one of the goblins at Gringotts write up a dossier on you." said Narcissa taking quick notice of Morgan's stern look. "I'm sorry but it's a necessary precaution against a fraudulent claim of paternity."_

" _Well the baby is his." said Morgan._

" _Oh." Narcissa agreed. "Of that I have no doubt. My investigators were quite thorough. But you can imagine, how much trouble people will get themselves in just to get even a single Knut from  my family."_

" _Well I'm not looking for money." said Morgan with a sharp tone, enough to cut steel._

_Narcissa only smiled while pulling out a small piece of paper from the file but stopping to talk to Morgan. "Of course not. Now, the Dark Lord will rise no doubt and your friends are so busy hiding themselves and their families. I know you Morgan, we used to be friends. And when it comes to friends, you would sacrifice your life to save them. But look at you now. Would you really sacrifice the life of your unborn child?"_

_"Of course not!" Morgan exclaimed. "I'd do anything for my kid."_

_"Exactly." said Narcissa. "I didn't call you here to flatter you with your hero complex. I called you here to lend a hand."_

_"After all the innocent people you've killed?" Morgan asked venomously. "What makes you so sure I won't send up a flare right now?"_

_"Because I know a way to give your son and daughter a childhood." Narcissa replied boldly. Her words seemed alluring for Morgan as she listened with intensity._

" _I'm not giving up anything and there's no way that you're gonna make me." said Morgan defiantly._

" _Oh it's not a compromise." said Narcissa. "I'm just giving you a choice to make." She then pushed in Morgan's hand, a check._

" _I told you I don't want money." said Morgan._

" _And I am telling you." said Narcissa. "That I want to offer my generosity in the name of our past friendship. Please."_

_Morgan read the check and looked up in shock. "This is an international converter check...for a million."_

" _I want to make certain that he or she." Narcissa pointed to her stomach. "has a bright future. I may not be a mother yet but I am certain that's what every mother wants for their child."_

" _I get what you're saying_ _." said Morgan eyeing the check. "What's it to you? Why the money? I mean, surely you may get something out of this."_

" _That's my business." said Narcissa. "The only thing I need is to ensure that you leave the country and never return, is to disappear, even from the father's life."_

_Immediately Morgan's head shot up, looking at the witch in shock and disbelief. "What?!"_

_"This is between you and me so I don't want anyone to know about this._ _" said Narcissa. "Disappear, and your child will remain unharmed. I can't say the same for your friends, but Morgan, you can't save everyone."_

_Morgan looked at the check with trembling hands and thrust the check back  into Narcissa's hands. "No. I won't take your money and spend it all on some getaway vacation while my friends, my family fight in this war."_

_"It's your choice." said Narcissa. "I'm only offering simple solutions. But can I offer some advice, one mother to another?" She rubbed her pregnant belly which was almost close to starting to show. "When it comes to your children, there is no action that is inconceivable, there is no decision that is impossible. You do what you must to provide the life that they need. And I think that moving back to America, now more than ever, is reasonable enough to provide the life that this child needs." She held the American's hand while looking at her cold in the eyes. "And you wouldn't want anything to happen to your friends...would you?" Narcissa took the check and put it into Morgan's hand._ _"You always were quite the stubborn one, Morgan."_

_"Classic Cissy Black." said Morgan. "Always thinking of a backup plan."_

_"It never hurts to have one." The Malfoy Matriarch smiled. "Besides, the truth is set in stone: Mother knows best."_

The memory ended right there, and Dumbledore shot out of the Pensieve immediately. It had pained the Headmaster that he had learned of one of his most special student's disappearance but at least Morgan kept secret contact with him after the First Wizarding War ended. Of course he was at her funeral and he still remembered witnessing a young Quintessa's innocence ripped to shreds. Dumbledore walked over to the large windows and sighed deeply in content as he watched the rain pour down like hailstones.

"It is almost time." He said to himself. 


	2. The Jenga Pieces Tumble

Tess Crosswell was a highly unusual girl in many ways. While other girls were either shopping or getting their nails done, she would be the only girl in the abandoned tunnel performing dangerous stunts with her skateboard. On another example, part of her really wanted to do her homework but another side of her just wanted to have fun and risk breaking a bone or jail time. And she also happened to be a witch. Fresh off of her second year, Tess had already turned 13 and that meant for a young girl at her age, changes were coming. Changes that would require a long talk, which luckily she already had ahead of her time.

It was nearly 7 o clock, and she was finishing a 180 degree turn on her skateboard slope when she skidded to a halt to take a drink from her water bottle. 

"Nice moves man!" A No-Maj (American version of Muggle) came over and fist bumped her. "Where'd you learn that?"

"I've had practice." Tess said coolly.

They say to never judge a book by it's cover, but when it came to Tess, it was impossible to think she wasn't distinct from most people, especially with her fair skin, blonde hair and bright violet eyes.

Checking her watch, she decided she was bored and kicked off her skateboard's wheels, curving her way through the streets of New York City. On her way back to her apartment building, she stopped for some frozen yogurt, something that she loved about America that Britain didn't have. But unbeknownst to her, it would be the last frozen yogurt she would have for a while.

At her apartment, a young Squibb had just returned home from a long day at work. Sara Crosswell slumped in the small chair, wiping sweat from her brow.

"Johnnie!" She exclaimed. "Tess! I'm home! I'm gonna make some casserole so I need the table set." She walked to the refrigerator and opened it to find just a bunch of bottles and cheese. "There's no milk. So I'm gonna give you money to go to the store and get it while I start cooking." She opened her wallet from her purse and scrimmaged through it. "Damn it. I don't have any money. Use what you can and I'll pay you back. You two aren't even here are you?"

Just then, the doorbell rang and Sara made haste to the door only to find when she opened it, an Asian man standing there, a colleague from MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America).

"Oh, Lee. What are you doing here?" She asked. "The shareholder meeting ended."

"It did." Lee said solemnly. "I've come with bad news. The International Department is downsizing starting tonight. They need to save money to start over. In other words...you're one of the 150 people who have been fired."

"What?!" Sara exclaimed, nearly fainting. "But how? This shouldn't be possible, the department's never had downsize even when Wall Street Crash happened!"

"It's a new policy Sara." said Lee. "Instead of cutting salary, they're cutting jobs."

"Hey!" An angry voice sounded. Johnathan Crosswell marched up to the door of his apartment. "What the hell is this bullshit? I go to my freaking internship and I get this pink slip saying that my internship has been revoked?!"

"Johnnie, that's enough!" Sara pulled her son in.

"Yes I am sorry young man." said Lee. "Since MACUSA has started downsizing, any money transferred has been revoked, including tuitions, loans, and internships."

"No." said Sara. "No, you can't do this." 

"I'm sorry Sara." said Lee. "I've also been fired. I'd just thought you ought to know."

"Thanks Lee." said Sara, hugging her friend. "And good luck buddy. You're gonna need it."

After Lee nodded and left off, the blonde Squibb closed the door and went to the only bedroom (she always slept on the sofa) to find her son, as usual, punching the life out of his pillow.

"Johnnie." She said to try to bring him out of his raging stupor. But he kept punching the pillow as if the pillow were MACUSA itself.

"Johnathan!" She shouted with enough force to shake the 17 year old wizard out of his anger. "I don't want to upset you."

"Ma." The dark haired American took his mother's face into his hands. "This is not your fault. Those bastards are the ones who should be answering." He punched the pillow one more time.

"We can't think about that now." said Sara. "Right now, we need to clear our heads and think this through."

Johnnie scoffed with indignation. "Think this through? Ma, your job was the only way we could afford this apartment! The national economy went to crap when the first Wizarding War happened, and after Dad died, we practically had no money. My jobs barely cover the rent now. God, what are we gonna do?"

"Do about what?" Mother and son turned to the front door to see Tess dropping off her skateboard. "What's going on?"

Sara walked to her niece and gave her a hug only a mother could give to her child. "Sit down, sweetie. We have a lot to talk about."

With downtrodden expressions and while breathing in an air of melancholy, the small family sat together and told Tess everything.


	3. Where do We Go?

10 days after receiving the news and trying to sort this ordeal out, The Crosswells found themselves walking out on the streets. They had just been kicked out of their own apartment because they could no longer afford to pay the bills and the landlord wasn't too pleased with this. They never stopped to rest until they reached Central Park. They were all panting from the effort of dragging their trunks containing most of their life possessions, the ones they could afford to carry. Tess sat quite still on the bench next to her aunt and cousin, anger coursing through her.

But after ten minutes, a new emotion overtook her: panic. Where would they go? All the closest and cheapest hotels had been full because of vacation season. Would they end up homeless? No, that was what Sara worked so hard for, not to end up on the streets.

"You have to admit it's quite a coincidence." Johnnie finally spoke. His tan had lightened a little bit and he was straightening his cap. "This Remus Lupin shows up out of nowhere, he happens to be the last international customer of Mom's, and gets a job. After that, no one comes to the office for a job and then poof, the bank takes everything, including our own house."

"Son, I know you're upset." Sara said soothingly, stroking her son's cheek. "But we can't resort to blaming people."

"Years of our lives." said Johnnie. "Everything we've worked for, our reputations, our dreams. If it's not something at work then please tell me, what the hell happened?"

Tess looked up the full moon shining over the city, she was asking herself the same question, aside from Johnnie's anger of blaming the man she met before she went to Hogwarts. 

"Let's imagine you're MACUSA." said Sara. "And you're a booming national business. As the economy rises, so does the value of even a single Dragot. It's called inflation. Budget cuts start coming into place, salaries need to be cut to save money so they can make more and they start downsizing. How do they do that? They get rid of the useless stuff, that includes a small section of the International Relations Department."

"That still gives them no right to take our fucking house." Tess snarled.

"I know you're angry." said Sara. "But we can't focus on the what ifs. We need to keep moving forward and find a solution."

"Well how do you suppose we do that?" Johnnie asked. "My friends are on vacation and their parents already kind of hate me for being lower class."

"And Ron's family and Hermione are in Egypt and France." said Tess. "I don't wanna worry them. Unless I got Harry's relatives confused, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let us within 50 feet of their house.

There was a heavy pause before Sara asked "Hey Tess, didn't you mention something about an inn in London? I can't remember the name though. The Leaky..."

"The Leaky Cauldron?" Tess finished.

"That's right" Sara said. "Alright, I don't know how we're gonna do it, but we're gonna get to London and stay in that inn at least for tonight. I will not have my babies sleeping next to a dumpster."

"You're kidding right?" Johnnie asked. 

"This is your home as much as it is mine, Johnnie." said Tess. "But think about our options here. Your mom has sacrificed so much so we wouldn't be in this situation."

"Well we are and how are are we supposed to get to London anyway?" asked Johnnie.

On cue, Sara reached into her purse and fished out a small bag of what looked like ash with some green sparkles in them. "I bought some on the night Lee told us the news."

"There's an inn in London, it's right next to Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic is about several blocks away from that inn." said Tess. "This is absolutely possible."

"You still have some Galleons right?" asked Sara, seeing Tess' small sack in her hand. "That should cover us for at least 2 nights."

"But how are we supposed to get to London?" Tess asked. "Our fireplace was broken already."

Johnnie stood up immediately and grabbed his effects, looking out into the city.

"I know a place." 


	4. the Leaky Cauldron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO sorry I'm back so late! I've been really busy lately but rest assured, I am back!

After walking for a few miles all the way into Manhattan, Johnnie Crosswell stopped at a local pay phone to call a someone. It took a few minutes, but as soon as Johnnie hung up the phone, he led his family to a local popular cafe, called Starbucks. Once they got inside from the outside summer, Johnnie nodded at his mother and cousin, and waved at one of the waiters at the counter.

"Hey, Eduardo!" The teenager looked up at the travelling family. He had a crooked jaw, long floppy hair and russet toned skin that almost looked bronze in the neon pink light. He had just put down a latte on a table when he walked over and gave his old friend a hug.

"It's so good to see you again, mi amigo!" The Mexican born wizard then took a look at Johnnie's mother. "I see Manhattan's flower has returned!" Then he took a look at Tess. "I assume this is the famous Tess Crosswell."

"Yes, I am." She said.

Eduardo whispered to Johnnie. "I don't know who is muy bonita now. Your mom or your cousin?"

"Watch it." Johnnie warned playfully.  "Both are off limits."

"Let me guess." Eduardo gestured to an empty table behind him. "Mermaid Frappuccino?"

"Not tonight mi amigo." said Johnnie. "Remember what we discussed?"

"Right this way." Eduardo quickly hustled the Crosswells through the back in a dark alley behind the cafe.

"The glove is on the floor." Eduardo pointed to a ratty baseball glove on the floor. "It should be able to get you to this Leaky Cauldron in  _un rapido minuto._ "

"I may not know who you are, young man, but I can't thank you enough." Sara gave the Latino wizard a bone-crushing hug. 

" _Gracias_   _señorita_."

"Thanks man!" Tess high fived Eduardo and gave him a fist bump. "Hey cuz, how'd you find a nice guy like this?"

"Long story short," Eduardo clapped Johnnie's shoulder. "When he came to the US, I helped him escape Border Patrol."

America was a melting pot even in the 90's and a lot of people from all over the world moved to the United States to start a new life in the land of opportunity. But Eduardo Garcia one of a group of travellers, many Americans referred to as "illegal immigrants", meaning they used unconventional means to get by Border Security. So to most Americans, it doesn't matter that they are criminals or innocent people, even infants were branded as "illegal aliens".

Whenever they arrived to the United States, immigrants had to be put on a waiting list and fill out a long trail of paperwork to become a citizen of America. But some immigrants didn't want to wait for so many years. To escape poverty in Mexico, Eduardo Garcia snuck on a boat and smuggled himself to the United States. If he hadn't ran into Johnnie Crosswell at the airport one day (Johnnie was meeting Cody Smith, one of his friends) Eduardo would have been held in custody like a criminal and deported back to Mexico.

"I should get back." said Eduardo. "My boss will fire me if I sleep on the job."

"That is if you actually sleep." said Tess. 

"I like this one." Eduardo nudged Johnnie.

"Garcia!" A Brooklyn accent yelled through the door. "Get your Spic ass back in here!"

"That'll be him." Eduardo sighed. "Hey, Johnnie, this world, it's changing. I suggest you hold onto your family before something bad happens."

"Eduardo." He stopped when he opened the door. "Good luck, man."

After a wave of goodbyes, it was just the three Crosswells in the Manhattan alley. 

"Uh sweetie?" Sara asked tentatively. "May I ask why you went through all of this trouble to get a baseball glove?"

"See, this is why I never take you games Mom." Johnnie rubbed his hands together. "But to sum it up, this baseball glove is how we escaped Border Patrol in a flat second. Now, everybody, put your hands on the glove. And you might wanna hold onto your stuff and not look down."

"No, please tell me this is not what I think it is!" Sara exclaimed, already dreading what was coming.

"Probably should have gotten a trash bag." Tess grabbed onto the glove. "Aunt Sara, come on."

With a trembling hand, Sara Crosswell gripped onto the glove and the three New Yorkers felt the world violently spinning and dissolving into thousands of colors. It was a good thing their fingers were attached to the gloves like magnets or they probably would have gone flying into nowhere. For a tiny second, Tess could see Sara's face darken to a sickly shade of green. 

Before they knew it, they landed on a street, their luggage still with them. While Johnnie and Tess were clutching their heads from the dizziness they experienced, Sara jumped up and looked around before running off to a corner in search of the nearest trash can.

"Every time." Tess shook her head in pity.

"I got this." Johnnie stretched his legs for a bit before jogging to where his mother was emptying her stomach of their dinner.

Johnnie had already pulled back his mother's hair before she even noticed him. "Take your time. Mom."

After emptying out the last of her stomach's contents. "Thanks honey." She whispered raspily.

 It wasn't a secret that travel by Portkey was the Squibb's least favorite way to travel. No matter how far she went, Sara was prone to violent vomiting as soon as they landed in their destination.

"Come on." She wiped her lips. "Let's get back to your cousin."

When they met up with Tess, who fortunately had already recovered from her dizzy spell (no pun intended), she led them into the first door she saw, which was under a sign that said, "Leaky Cauldron."

"Ah!" A bartender exclaimed from near. "Travellers I assume?"

"Yeah, you could say that." said Johnnie. "Who are you?" 

"I'm Tom." The bartender said. "I run the Cauldron. Are you in need of rooms?"

"Yes." said Sara immediately. "Yes, thank you. Kids, I'm gonna take care of the room business while you two go take a seat."

While Sara arranged the living spaces for her family, Johnnie plopped in a nearby chair like a rag doll. 

"Maybe I should have taken that Frappuccino." He rubbed his temple in irritation as he felt a headache start to creep on him. 

"Mope all you want." Tess piped up sarcastically. "I'm going to explore."

Leaving her possessions next to her cousin, she made her way upstairs, undetected of course and was walking down the first corridor, when something quite interesting caught her ear.

"...Accidental Magic Reversal Department was dispatched immediately, she has been punctured and her memory modified."

With curiosity getting the best of her, she casually walked in like it was just another day and leaned against the wall. Surprisingly, no one, not even the hunchback in the room (literally) heard her footsteps. It was as if she floated her way into the room. Standing in the middle of the room, talking to a boy in a green chair was none other than Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic. And even though she couldn't see the boy, she'd recognized the animal's nest that was Harry Potter's hair.

"She will have no recollection of the incident, whatsoever." Fudge said to Harry. "So that's that, and no harm done. Pea soup?" He lifted the lid of a silver bowl. 

"Uh no thank you." Harry responded politely. "Um, Minister?"

"Yes?" Fudge had almost brought a crumpet up to his mouth. 

"I don't understand." said Harry.

"Understand?" Fudge questioned the young wizard. 

"I broke the law." said Harry, to which Tess in the background rolled her eyes. "Underage wizards are forbidden from using magic at home."

Tess brought her palm to her face in annoyance.  _Still a Mr.Goody two shoes._ She thought to herself.

"Oh come now, Harry." Fudge replied cheerfully. "The Ministry doesn't send people to Azkaban for blowing up their aunts!"

"Oh I see how it is." Tess finally spoke up. "I turn a pen into a sugar quill and I get a letter from you guys. But when Mr. Harry James Potter blows up his aunt, he gets off clean. Come on guys, where's the love?"

"Tess!" Harry ran to the blond witch and hugged her. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you!"

"Alright, alright, let's not be sappy." Tess hugged him only tighter, while Fudge whispered to Tom (the hunchback), "Did you see her come in?" Tom shook his head no.

"I'm a ninja, that's what." Tess boasted.

"I see the infamous Tess Crosswell has made her entrance." said Fudge. "You have grown quite a reputation since I last saw you."

Tess smiled. "Guilty."

"I had heard about the financial issues in America." Fudge said sadly. "I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do."

"I wasn't gonna ask that." said Tess. "But thanks, I guess."

"On the other hand, running away like that," Fudge turned his attention back to Harry. "Given the state of things, was very irresponsible."

"The 'state of things', sir?" Harry asked. 

"We have a killer on the loose." Fudge clarified. 

"You mean that Sirius Black?" Tess asked. "Yeah, us Americans have heard of him.

"Right you are." said Fudge. "Mr. Black is a very, very dangerous man. If you see him, do not hesitate to run from him."

"We'll be sure to avoid him." said Harry.

"Tess!" Johnnie's voice came from downstairs. "Mom's got a room for us!"

"Coming!" Tess shouted back. "I better go, I gotta help with the luggage. Harry, wanna come with?"

"Yes, speaking of rooms." Fudge said. "I will arrange for an available room for you, Harry."

"Hedwig." Harry spoke to his snowy owl who instantly came to her companions outstretched arm.

"Oh and while you're here, you two," Fudge added on. "It would be best if you didn't...wander."

"Who? Us?" Tess scoffed. "Never!"

Before Harry left with Tess, he turned around and said, 

“Er — Minister? Can I ask you something?”

 “Certainly,” said Fudge with a smile.

 “Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn’t sign the permission form. D’you think you could —?”

 Fudge was looking uncomfortable. “Ah,” he said. “No, no, I’m very sorry, Harry, but as I’m not your parent or guardian —” 

 “But you’re the Minister of Magic,” said Harry eagerly. “If you gave me permission…” 

 “No, I’m sorry, Harry, but rules are rules,” said Fudge flatly. “Perhaps you’ll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it’s best if you don’t… yes… well, I’ll be off. Enjoy your stay, Harry.” 

Once Fudge was out of sight, it was just Tess and Harry alone in the corridor. 

"Good try though." She said.

"Thanks." Harry said bitterly. "I don't even know how I'm going to go to Hogsmeade now."

"Hey." She clapped his shoulder. "We'll find some way."

Once they got to the inn parlor, Harry was surprised to see Johnnie talking with his mother. He had expected only Tess to be there, knowing how independent she was, but not her cousin and aunt. 

"Harry!" Johnnie walked up to Harry. "What's up little man?" He and Harry made a fist bump, followed by a high five.

"It's good to see you Johnnie." said Harry. 

"Mr. Potter, right?" The bartender finished coming down from the flight of stairs. "You have room eleven and I carried your things there already."

"Thank you." said Harry.

After Tom left the parlor, Harry found himself being squeezed by a blonde heap of excitement, ie, an excited Auntie Sara.

"Oh I've missed you! And before you ask, any friend of Tess' is family to me. So of course we're all happy just to see you!"

At this point, it was getting difficult for Harry to breathe. "It's great to see you Miss Crosswell." He managed to croak through his crushed windpipe.

"Like I said before." She cupped his cheeks. "Call me Sara. You've grown so much! But we'll have to continue this reunion upstairs. You look tired."

They all headed upstairs, each carrying some luggage. Of course Harry volunteered to help was carrying a suitcase for Sara.

"Are you all on holiday?" Harry asked out of the blue.

"What?" Johnnie asked, not having heard Harry's question.

 "I noticed you all have a lot of suitcases." said Harry. "Is that why you're all in London at this time of year? For holiday?"

"He means vacation." Both Sara and Tess translated in unison.

"But yeah." Tess dejectedly said, as she opened the door to the Crosswell's room. "You could say that."

 


	5. Man's Best Friend, Meet Man

Once he learned of the Crosswell's predicament around breakfast the next morning, it didn't take long for Harry's bleeding heart to start leaking profusely. It was no surprise to Tess when he tried insisting that the family let him give them some money from his vault in Gringotts (the Wizarding bank in Britain)so Sara could find some way to buy back the apartment in New York City. Trouble was, Tess had already tried to do the same thing and the American economy could only do so much with foreign money (Back in the early 1990's in the wizarding community, the system exchanging foreign money for US money didn't exist).

Besides that, the American Squibb might as well have been Molly Weasley's cousin, because she too was as fierce as a lion and as stubborn as a centaur. In other words, neither Tess and Harry stood a chance in convincing her to borrow some money.

"It's your money and yours alone." Sara had said to the children. "And if you're gonna use it, use it for school supplies. Leave the big problems to me."

He wanted to offer some money to Weasley family at first when he realized how poor they were but he was afraid of embarrassing them since money was tight for them. At least they had a house.

Johnnie tried to calm Harry down by telling him that they would find some way to take back the apartment, even though he suspected that it was probably sold to another family by then.

"When the bank takes your home from you," Johnnie had said to Harry. "they literally take it. They say they give you time to sort your bills but that's just a pack of bullshit..They come by one night, break down the door and threaten to call the cops if you don't pack your shit in 30 minutes before they lock you out just like that."

"What about school?" Harry had asked him when he had finished his pumpkin juice. "You have your seventh year left."

"We can talk about that later." Johnnie had told him sharply. Sara and Tess exchanged a look, both unsure of what to do of the position Johnnie was in.

Unlike his cousin, he didn't have dual citizenship with Britain and America, which meant the chances of him returning to school in America for his seventh and final year were slim to none. When Sara got fired, she lost her connections with Britain, and with the Crosswell's being practically homeless along with having almost no money, dropping out of school seemed like the only option for him.

A few days slipped by, and Harry along with Johnnie and his cousin found themselves outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They wanted to give Sara the space to try to extend their stay at the inn. The young wizards were finishing some homework (with some help from Johnnie of course) when they heard someone say next to them:

"You didn't leave any seats for us?"

They all looked up and saw Hermione Granger accompanied by one Ron Weasley.

"Hey guys!" Tess hugged Hermione and Ron. "Oh I'm so glad to see you!"

"It's good to see you both again." said Harry.

"Let me get you guys some seats." said Johnnie.

"Actually your aunt told us you three were here." said Ron. "My family just came back from Egypt and we're having lunch at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Sounds like a nice idea." said Johnnie. "Alright you two nerds, let's get back."

"You should talk, Mr. All-Nighter." Tess teased her cousin, earning a small punch on the arm from Johnnie.

Once they got to the Leaky Cauldron in, the entire table was packed with redheads. Sara was still chatting with the manager about the family's stay while the Crosswells and Harry found themselves being greeted by the entire Weasley clan.

Once they got food, Sara hastily made her way and saw Molly Weasley try to stop an arm wrestling competition between the twins and Johnnie. Apparently the American teen was taking on each twin with each arm.

"Boys!" Molly tried to pry the boys away from each other.

"Don't bother." Sara plied Molly away. "They're boys, proving they're all that is kind of what they do." She smiled at Fred's failed attempt to push down Johnnie's arm but it seemed that being on the Quidditch team was no match for years of lifting heavy cargo and kickboxing lessons. Bottom line, in the end both Fred and George Weasley lost at the same time.

"Should I step in to-"

"No, let them simmer in their defeat." said Sara. "Men don't like to admit when they lose."

"You can say that again." Molly helped Sara sit down in the crowd.

"How did-"

"It's all in the wrist Georgie." Johnnie sipped his tea. "I really don't get why you Brits obsess over tea. It's just steamed water that tastes like plants."

"You should talk, American." Percy Weasley walked past him.

"Hey, Perce!" Tess exclaimed over the chatter. She was eating some biscuits (In Tess' words not dog ones). "So I hear you're Head Boy now!"

"Yes I am." said Percy.

"That's good." said Tess. "So what are you Head of? The League of Conceited Pricks?"

Immediately the entire room was in an uproar of laughter of Tess' comment, save for Percy whose face had turned even redder than his hair, if that was possible.

"It's nice to see you haven't lost your charm, Miss Crosswell." Percy immediately walked upstairs to his room to continue studying.

"So what brings you lot to London?" asked Ron.

"Are you here on holiday?" Hermione asked. "I can show you around. My mum knows this really great cafe and-"

"Thanks Mione." said Tess. "But right now, vacay is so not our top priority. In fact, me, my cuz, and aunt are doing anything  **but** vaycay.

"First, your American language never stops giving me headaches." Hermione rubbed her head. "And second, what do you mean? Why else would you be staying here?"

 _Do you want to tell them?_  Harry's silent question didn't go unnoticed by Tess.

"Well, until further notice, we live here now."

Hermione instantly regretted opening her mouth, because she had never imagined that Tess, who she knew had financial problems in the US, would end up...homeless.

"You what?" Ron asked in utter disbelief. "How can you live here? It's the Leaky Cauldron not a house."

"Ron!" Hermione shot the redhaired wizard a glare before softening her expression at Tess. "Tell us what happened."

"Come on." Tess got up and the rest of the Golden Quartet followed her up, Ron cast a sad look at Sara who was scuffling through papers and taking notes, hoping to find some way to get back on her feet.

"We didn't know we would be evicted." Tess said as they walked down. "Well we did, but we didn't expect it to come so soon." Using her key, she opened the lock and the all stepped into the little room the Crosswell family were now forced to call home.

"It's a good thing there was a vacancy for a three bedder." said Tess. "And a cheap one at that. I sleep by the window." She pointed to the small bed that was glowing yellow under the sunlight. Barley shoved under the bed, were the suitcases containing Tess' belongings.

"It's not much, but it's what we could carry with us." said Tess. "We couldn't exactly bring the couch."

"This is everything you own?" Hermione asked completely aghast.

"Aunt Sara's trying to sell everything else." said Tess.

When Harry gave her a slice of bread, Tess quickly accepted it, mumbling a small "thanks" as she ate.

"I don't..." Ron was almost at a loss for words. "I don't understand. How could this happen?"

Tess brushed some of her golden hair out of her face (it was beginning to get longer by each passing year). "Johnnie was born in Queens, it's a place in New York, and Aunt Sara moved there when he was 3 because she got a great job offer. When my mom died, it was hard for us to make money or buy nice clothes because Sara is a Squibb. It was pretty hard on all of us. But then one day, it didn't become about Sara's social status anymore. MACUSA needed to make money, then it was last ones in, first ones out. We spent all our savings for Johnnie's tuition and down payment on the house.

Ron looked at the ground, ashamed of his self pity. He thought he had rotten luck when it came to money, but he never imagined in a million years, losing your home to the bank because you couldn't afford it anymore. His dad's job was decent enough and Tess' story was enough to make him immensely grateful that his father worked all those raids to provide for their children. He looked at Tess' sullen face and realized someone had to help the family in their hour of need. Tess had always stood by him, she was his best friend since that first train ride to Hogwarts with Harry. But how could he help? His family had spent their prized money on a trip to Egypt, so Ron didn't have many options to consider.

If there was a light bulb above his head, it would have been shining brighter than a Lumos Charm because Ron had then conceived an idea.

 _I know how to fix this!_ He thought to himself as he ran downstairs to talk to his parents.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded after the dissapearing 13 year old.

"It's ok." said Tess. "Ron just probably went to the bathroom."

"Are you going to be ok?" Harry asked.

Tess snapped her neck up and looked at him with the eyes of a hawk. "Does it look like I'm ok? My family is homeless and I don't even have enough money in my Gringotts vault to buy a house and keep it! Not to mention, we've already faced the possibility that Johnnie can't even go to his school to graduate and become a full fledged wizard, because WE CAN'T AFFORD A DAMN THING!" She got up and punched a hole in the window without hesitation. All three teens could hear the glass shattering on the street below.

"Tess, you're bleeding." Harry pointed out to some of the glass sticking out from Tess bleeding knuckles.

"No shit, Detective Potter." By then, Tess was pulling out some of shards. Once she met their worried faces, she calmed from her anger, just a little. "I-I'm sorry guys. I just don't know what I'm gonna do."

"Come here." Hermione had gotten a rag and Harry was helping Tess fish out some remaining shards. He already had experience with falling on glass so this type of injury wasn't new to him.

"Don't worry." Hermione rested her hand on Tess' shoulder. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

Later that night, Johnnie was walking back from his own little tour of London. He needed to take his mind off the stress and he always found that physical activity always helped him relax a little. Sometimes he liked to be a lone wolf.

When he got to the door of the inn, he heard a faint whimpering, almost like a desperate puppy. Looking down to the source of the whimper, he found a large black dog that looked like it had gone weeks without food. In fact, the dog looked almost like a was no collar or name tag.

"Hey buddy." Johnnie kneeled down and held out his fist. "Or is it a girl?" The dog growled in annoyance. "Ok, a boy I guess. Damn, you look like shit, considering you're a dog. I'm sorry, but I don't have any food for you." On cue, the dog looked up to the Leaky Cauldron. Noticing what the dog meant, Johnnie could only give a half hearted sigh. "I guess I could sneak you in and get you something."

With careful precision, Johnnie was able to sneak the dog in past the crowds. See, small animals were allowed in but nothing was said about dogs. Johnnie didn't want to cause trouble so he just snuck the dog in as a precaution.

"Sit here boy." Johnnie ordered the dog once they got to their room. "I'll be back." True to his word, Johnnie went down to the kitchens to get some food and in a few minutes, returned with some meat.

"Dig in."

The dog instantly jumped at the food and ate it in record time, literally to the bone. After the dog ate his meal, he jumped at Johnnie who was watching with fascination and started licking his face. "Easy boy! Easy!" The dog stopped goofing around, allowing Johnnie to wipe some drool from his mouth. "I guess you don't have a home and I don't have a pet. Never really had one since Tituba got hit by that car a few months ago. You would be cool with that would you?" The dog barked happily. "Ok. I guess strays do have to stick out for one another. But first, I'm gonna have to give you a name."

Instantly, the dog ran up to Sara's bed and placed a giant black paw over the 'note' in 'notepad'. Johnnie ran over to see it pawing the pad.

"Pad." He began. The dog stepped down and started smelling his sneaker. "Sneaker?" The dog shook his head. "Sock? Shoe? Foot?" At the last word, the dog barked happily.

"Ok." said Johnnie. "Padfoot it is.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Johnnie opened it to find Tess.

"Aunt Sara's calling us to the parlor." She said. "Something bout Ron's folks wanting to meet us."

"What's it to Ginger Spice and Company?" Johnnie asked curiously.

"I don't know bu-why is there a dog here?" Tess pointed to Padfoot, who was peering at Tess i keen observation.

"Tess, Padfoot." Johnnie introduced. "Padfoot, Tess."

"Aww." Tess cooed, scratching the black dog's head. "Cutie!"

"Come on, Tess." Johnnie led his cousin out and told Padfoot to stay behind. He didn't want anyone to see his new dog.

When they went inside the parlor, they saw to their confusion, the entire Weasley family, Harry and Hermione.

"Ok, what is going on here?" asked Johnnie.

"Please, sit." Arthur gestured to the chairs. "As we all know, a country's government works with the way it's country wants. Which means I don't know how we can help you get your house back in New York."

"I know." said Sara. "I didn't expect it to happen. Well I did but I kept working and trying to pay the bills, all so my son could go to school and it's a miracle Tess managed to hold on through all these years and be so strong."

"Sara-"

"Now to make matters worse." Sara continued rambling. "I don't know how my baby is gonna finish his education. He's a responsible nice young man, he deserves to-"

"Sara, come here." Molly held her a handkerchief. "Now before you continue your babbling, I will stop you with something that will cheer you up. Now while you may have lost your life in America, it doesn't mean you can't start somewhere fresh. To help you get started, everyone here has agreed, that starting from as soon as you can get your affairs in order, you and your family an live at the Burrow."

"What?" Sara whispered.

"It'll be a start." said Arthur. "You can find a job that will help you get started on patching things up. But to relieve the stress of finding a home, our home is your home."

"But what about-"

"As for Johnathan." said Arthur. "I think we may have a solution at hand. I've arranged for a meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore, the Headmaster for Ilvermorney and Minister Fudge. In two days, I think you'll find yourself looking forward to attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And once he and Tess finish their school year, they can stay with us as long as they wish. Even during the holidays."

The entire room was silent but there was no tension. There was happiness, hope and joy in the air, except no one knew how to answer to it.

"I..I don't know, what to say." Sara breathed out.

"Say nothing." Molly replied. "Any friend of ours is extended family."

"Thank you!" Sara hugged Molly while Johnnie and Tess shook hands with Arthur.

"Don't give us the credit while you're at it." Arthur laughed. "It was all Ron's idea."

Everyone turned to their heads at Ron who was at the doorway and was as red as a tomato.

Tess was the first to thank him.

"Thank you Ron." She whispered, and he hugged her back. "You have no idea how much this means to us."

Johnnie walked up to him and said, "I owe you a lot, my friend. Thanks for helping us out."

Unfortunately, it was Sara who almost squeezed the life out of Ron. "Your parents must be so proud to have such a bright little boy."

Hermione half smiled at him. "That was pretty clever of him."

When everyone retired to their rooms, Harry noticed Ron was clutching his back. "You ok, mate?" He had asked him.

Ron looked at him and said in a squeaky breath, "I'm pretty sure that woman broke my back."


	6. Diagon Alley

Even though he had friends around, it took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied. He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world, Harry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.

"Welcome to the city life, bruh." Johnnie had told Harry one morning. "Live in it."

Harry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, with the Weasleys, Crosswells and Hermione of course, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava. 

After breakfast, Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bin, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.

But the more time he spent with his friends and their families, the more he began to feel as if he was part of their families. How could he not after all the exciting (yet some were embarrassing) stories he heard from them?

"That can't be true!" Fred said to Johnnie one morning. 

"There's no way!" George backed up his other half.

"It's true." said Johnnie with a look of pride on his face. "Though I wish she wouldn't keep the head as a souvenir. The eyes still freak me out to this day."

"For what?" Hermione asked, still eating her toast.

"My great grandmother once chopped off an Ashwinder's head and kept it as a souvenir." Johnnie explained nonchalantly. It was as if he was talking about the weather.

"Ok." Hermione replied slowly. "I'm not sure what could be exciting about that-"

"Oh just ask him what Great-Grammy Victoria used to do it!" Tess answered in a boastful tone.

"I still can't get the creepy eyes out of my head, thank you very much." Johnnie drank his coffee. 

"She did it with a pair of scissors." Tess answered for him. Harry was both frightened and amazed at the story. Then again, Tess' family was well known for their dauntless stunts.

But while he was listening to their stories, Harry never imagined that he would become the center of an embarrassing story. And it all started when Johnnie realized that Harry was 13 and would be going through a process known as puberty. Naturally, he took it upon himself to be the man of the house and lecture Harry on what the Americans referred to as, "The Birds and Bees" before it was too late.

"Harry!" Johnnie yelled out one evening. "Can you come here?"

"I'm here." said Harry in a matter of seconds. "And Tess told me that you have a dog."

"His name's Padfoot." said Johnnie. "And he's napping under my bed, but Harry, have a seat." He gestured to a couple of chairs. Johnnie's heart was thumping loudly in his chest. The only time he had ever felt this embarrassed was when he got beat in wizarding chess by a girl. Ever since that day, the Crosswell elder used the excuse of 'the sun being in his eyes' to mask his humiliation. But no excuse could save him or Harry from the conversation they were about to have.

"Were you going to tell me something?" Harry asked.

Johnnie took a big breath. He had to teach Harry about this, no matter how much he didn't want to. And he  **really**  didn't want to.

"Well Harry." said Johnnie. "I'm just gonna come out with it." He leaned in and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You are going to die very soon."

"WHAT?!" Harry nearly screamed. Johnnie just roared in laughter.

"Oh man, you should have seen your face!" He said between laughs.

"Johnathan, this isn't funny!" Harry exclaimed a little humiliated.

"Ok." Johnnie said calming down. "Harry...God I wish my Dad was here. Ummm...you're 13 right?" Harry nodded. "Ok..Harry your body is going to be going through some changes and well, hair will start growing in your armpits, face, you will get taller and maybe more muscular. It happened to me when I was your age and it happens to both wizards and No-Maj's alike. It even happens to females but just in a different way. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?"

Harry nodded slowly, blinking once.

"Good." He fumbled with his hair. "Now...you know what..your….parts are for, right?" Harry nodded slowly again, his face starting to turn white. "Now…" Johnnie dived into a speech about the hormonal and physical changes of growing men and the feeling of crushes and what to do with them. He also gave a little tip on how women are around hormones and how he should watch them, if they're feeling moody by a certain time of the month. By the end of the speech, Harry was stark pale white and he was a pinch close from passing out either from shock or embarrassment.

"Alright." said Johnnie, once the discussion was over. "You better get to bed." Harry left the room without question and went to sleep that night. He didn't want to spend his freedom remeniscing over a conversation he most certainly wanted to forget.

Harry spent the long sunny days with his friends exploring the shops and eating under the brightly colored umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ("It's a lunascope, old boy - no more messing around with moon charts, see?") or else discussing the case of Sirius Black ("Personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban"). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour. Tess also got this as well as Ron and Hermione. Johnnie still perferred to get his ice cream, "old school" as the Americans called it. 

Once Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts (Ron and the others had already bought their supplies), he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once. He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks, to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones (a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point). He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson. But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favorite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies, a week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.

"Just come out - prototype -" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.

"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm.

"Irish International Side's just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favorites for the World Cup!"

A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:

** THE FIREBOLT **

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART RACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND-NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.

Price on request...Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost. He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life - but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already? Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt.

Johnnie on the other hand, once had to literally drag Tess away from the store because she wanted to look at the Firebolt and it was getting dark.

There were, however, things that Harry needed to buy. He went to the Apothecary to replenish his store of potions ingredients, and as his school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg, he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones. Most important of all, he had to buy his new schoolbooks, which would include those for his two new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

Harry got a surprise as he looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold-embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.

Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures. Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet. 

As Harry and Tess entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward them.

"Hogwarts?" he said abruptly. "Come to get your new books?"

"No we're lost and looking for ice cream," said Tess sarcastically.

"Forgive my friend." Harry said quickly.

"Get out of the way," said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage.

"Hang on," said Harry quickly, "We've already got one of those."

"Have you?" A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. "Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning -"

A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart.

"Stop it! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility - cost a fortune, and we never found them."

"Well Mr. Manager, that's why the author of those books is what is known as a con artist." said Tess. "If any trader knows he's gonna sell something worthless and not worth a lot of gold, the least he can do is make it so that even a person with glasses can see."

Harry turned a bright red while the manager raised an eyebrow. "Well...is there anything else I can help you two with?"

"Yes," said Harry, looking down his booklist, "We need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky."

"Ah, starting Divination, are you two?" said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling. A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul.

"Here you are," said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black-bound book. "Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods - palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails."

Tess made a face on this but Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens - What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming.

"Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you," said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. "You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death."

But Harry continued to stare at the front cover of the book; it showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar...

The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry and Tess's hands.

"Anything else?" he said.

"Yes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. "Er - We need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three."

Harry and Tess emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with his new books under his arms and made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people.

Tess went to her room to take an apparent nice long nap.

He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed. Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley. He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin.

"It can't have been a death omen," he told his reflection defiantly. "I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent...It was probably just a stray dog...Strange how Johnnie's dog looks like it though."

He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat

"You're fighting a losing battle there, dear," said his mirror in a wheezy voice.


	7. Answering Questions with More Questions

As the days slipped by, the young wizards realized how close the start of the school year was-plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt; he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. Harry didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother. Harry hoped she never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic.

Harry woke on the last day of the holidays. He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and took off to the Ice Cream Parlor to meet up with his friends.

"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice in the midst of their conversation.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron and Tess roared with laughter. "I just - lost control."

"It's not funny, you two," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested."

"Either way it sounded pretty awesome." said Johnnie.

Tess looked at Ron. "Your dad don't know why Fudge let Harry off, don't he?"

"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. Anyway, we're all going to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad's got this good deal on cars getting us there. So you four can come with us tomorrow morning. Hermione as well!"

"A deal?" Tess licked her ice cream. "Now we're talking bruh!"

Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off with all my Hogwarts things."

"Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"

"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books -" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I," said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies -"

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You're Muggle-born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.

"Too bad we don't have Muggle Studies in America." said Johnnie. "It would be a blast to see the wizarding point of No Maj's. And maybe get a laugh or two on the misconceptions of certain things."

"Yeah, like how people say a tomato is a fruit." Tess agreed. "But it's not, it's a vegetable."

Johnnie laughed. "I beg to differ dear cousin of mine. It has seeds, therefore it's a fruit. But Hermione, I'm glad you're taking your work seriously. It's nice to know a bit of everything."

"Exactly!" Hermione said bouncing up and down, happy that someone understood her.

"Great." Ron muttered. "Now there's two Hermiones."

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry. Hermione ignored Ron.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently.

"Never knew you liked to even read." Tess piped up.

"First, for Hermione you twit." Ron spoke to her in an annoyed tone. "Second, I do read. Occasionally."

"No, I don't think so, Ron." Hermione smiled. "But I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig, Tess has Crucible, and you've got Errol -"

"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket. "And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers.

"Yeesh!" Johnnie exclaimed. "That rat looks like it's almost scared to death."

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl."

So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.

"You mentioned cars but I forgot to ask." Johnnie asked while walking down the street. "But whose idea was it to drive an enchanted car for at least 50 miles just to get to school?" Johnnie eyed Tess, Ron and Harry suspiciously. In pure childish fashion, Harry pointed to Ron, Ron pointed to Tess while she pointed to both Ron and Harry.

"It's nice to see that Tess has rubbed off you dudes already." said Johnnie. "Hermione, I still have some hope for in terms of impulsive thinking."

"Oh like you can talk." Tess retorted with a wicked gleam in her violet eyes. "Remember your first kiss?"

"Hardy har har." Johnnie bit back with sarcasm lacing his voice. "Very funny, Tess."

"His first kiss?" Hermione asked in a perplexed manner.

Tess had to stiffen a giggle so she could speak clearly. "I never told you guys this?" Ron, Hermione, and Harry's shaking heads told her all she needed to know. "It's one of the most well known stories of the Crosswell family. Even our extended relatives talk about it! Go on, ask him how he survived his first date."

"I don't wanna talk about it." Johnnie mumbled irritably.

Of course, Harry never had any relationship with his cousin other than blood, but the glee plastered on Tess' face gave Harry the feeling that this was a story Tess loved to remind her cousin about.

"Guess what? He didn't." said Tess, ignoring Johnnie's protests. "It's a school dance, he takes his date onto the dance floor, kisses her and then leaves her on her own for the rest of the night."

By then, the boys were laughing their heads off while Hermione rolled her eyes at their immaturity. But even she had to it to herself, that was one of the most embarrassing first date she had ever.

"It was a slow dance, ok?"Johnnie was beet red and he wished he could melt into a puddle right on the street. "And it was my first kiss."

"Still doesn't excuse it." Tess nudged her elder cousin. "Chicken." She made clucking noises while making wing motions with her arms tucked in her sides.

"I was 15 for God's sake!" Johnnie exclaimed. "I panicked!" That only made the wizards laugh even more. Even Hermione started giggling for a bit.

Once they got to the shpp, they noticed there wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, Tess, and Johnnie waited, examining the cages.

A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every color, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-colored furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.

The double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.

"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bring him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.

Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.

Like nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was secondhand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.

"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.

"Er -" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.

"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these -"

She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. Ron muttered, "Show-offs."

"Well, if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.

"Okay," said Ron. "How much - OUCH!"

Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.

It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.

"What was that?"

"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.

"Either way it was big and had a lot of fur." said Johnnie. "Where's Hermione?"

"Probably getting her owl." Ron said.

They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.

"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.

"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.

That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry. The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms.

"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.

"And she's already in love." Tess deadpanned.

"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."

"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.

They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with their shopping.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.

"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money -"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, You mark my words."

"Yeah, well if they couldn't keep him in the slammer, how do you expect them to catch him outside of it?" Tess asked, prompting a look of interest from Hermione.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper. "Harry mind if I have a word?"

"Sure." Mr. Weasley pulled him into the men's bathroom.

"Harry, the Ministry would strongly discourage me from giving you this kind of warning. But you need to know the facts, you are in danger." Mr. Weasley put his hands on the young boy's shoulders. " **Grave**  danger."

"Has this anything to do with Sirius Black sir?" Harry asked.

"What  **do** you know of Sirius Black?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Only that he's escaped from Azkaban." said Harry.

"Do you know why?" Mr. Weasley asked only to get a head shake from Harry. "13 years ago when you stopped-

"Voldemort." Harry said.

"Don't say his name."

"Sorry."

"When you stopped…" Mr. Weasley paused. "You-know-Who, Black lost everything, but to this day, he still remains, a faithful servant. And in his mind, you are the only thing that stands in the way of You Know Who returning to power. And that is why he has escaped from Azkaban. To find you and-

"To kill me." Harry finished.

Mr. Weasley thought of telling Harry what he was going to say but he let it slide. "Harry, I want you to swear to me that whatever you might hear, you won't go looking for Black."

Harry seemed puzzled. "Mr. Weasley, why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?


	8. Secret Meetings hold Secret Lies

That night, Johnnie was packing his trunk for school after he had tried on the uniform. Like Tess, when he tried it on, he felt  **very**  uncomfortable. But he could tough it out, maybe without the robes though.

Suddenly, he heard a tapping noise on the window and he opened it to find an eagle with a letter attached to it.

"Thanks for sending that letter to America." said Johnnie, taking the letter and petting the eagle's head. "Now Codester, what news do you bring?"

But when he dumped the envelope's contents he found not only a folded piece of paper, a fading green check came flying out as well. Johnnie picked up the letter first.

_Yo Johnnie,_

_It's me, Cody. I found some of the things you left behind and I'm sending some eagles on the way. But I found something else in that crap place of yours. There was a box inside the wall, some kind of secret compartment and there was a check for a million in our money, uncashed. Someone named Narcissa Malfoy  to wrote it to your mom and I've heard of these Malfoys. Stinkin' rich family they are and they had a quite a rep for being with Voldemort's side. But if you think that's something, check this out. I stink at math, but I found the date written right around the time your aunt moved here. Something's not stirring the kool aid._

Johnnie then picked up the check and saw that Cody was not kidding. The other weird thing was, that the check was written right when his late aunt Morgan Crosswell came to live in America. But he also noticed that it was written in December of 1979...about 7 months before his cousin was born. 

Morgan had never really explained to the children why she had moved to America when there was a war going on in Britain at the time. She had also never mentioned anything about a check, let alone her life in Hogwarts.

"Why would Lucius' wife write a check to my aunt, and right before she moved back to America?" He asked himself, hid skeptical voice echoing the walls of the room.

Dinner was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, three Crosswells, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.

"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.

"I can see why." Ron said. "I mean after that incident with that car last year…." Everyone glared at him. "Shutting up now."

"Why though?" said Percy curiously.

"It's because of you, Percy," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them-"

"- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.

Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.

"Good one!" Tess said, giving both of them a high five at the same time.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favor..."

His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Wesley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under pressure.

 Last year, when Dobby, the Malfoy's former house elf had caused them to miss the train, they used the car to get to Hogwarts, and they were nearly expelled.  

"Well I think it's great you're all getting a big break." Sara said. "I mean, first that prize money, now these cars? Things might be looking up for you guys."

"Oh, now you jinxed it." Tess muttered, she didn't want to cause a fuss with her friends. "Oh God, all that Divination reading is getting to me."

"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground...You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"Well Perce, look at the bright side." said Tess. "In a few months, you can spread out all of your crap however you wish."

Perce's ears went red. "My things are not crap, Crosswell. They are essentials for helping me get through the year as Head Boy."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. Tess scowled at Percy.

After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy.

Johnnie stayed behind. "Mr. Weasley."

"Yes?" He asked, being pretty much the only wizard left in the room.

"Have you ever heard of the Malfoys bribing anyone to leave the country?" Johnnie asked.

Mr. Weasley looked at him like he spoke Korean. "Could be more specific please?"

"My friend went through my apartment in New York." said Johnnie. "And he found this check. It was written off of Narcissa Malfoy's account into my aunt's. But it was never cashed in and the strange thing is, it was written around the time Aunt Morgan left Britain."

"Johnathan." said Mr. Weasley. "I've never heard anything of the sort about this check but I assure you, it's probably nothing. So you have nothing to worry about." Just as he was about to leave him, Mr. Weasley turned around and said, "And Johnathan, maybe it's best not to mention this check at all to anyone."

Mr. Weasley walked away from him, but Johnnie wasn't an idiot. He knew that something was definitely going on. But he had no time to think because he heard yelling upstairs so he made a run for the stairs. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry. He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on.

The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.

"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing -"

"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.

"Who hasn't touched what?" Johnnie asked.

"What's up?" said Harry.

"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry.

"So is Scabbers's Rat Tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar -"

"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.

"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Johnnie called to Ron, and he with Harry went downstairs.

Harry and Johnnie were halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another group of angry voices coming from the parlor. A second later, he recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys as well as Sara's. Harry hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing, when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlor door, Johnnie peering from a crack since he was taller.

"...makes no sense not to tell him, let alone Tess," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly. "Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. Tess is more than capable of taking care of herself. They are both thirteen years old and -"

"Arthur, the truth would terrify either of them!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send two orphans back to school with that hanging over them? For heaven's sake, they are happy not knowing! They have been for the past decade!"

"Molly, you know how these kids are!" Sara argued vehemently. "They got themselves almost killed twice, because they screwed with things they didn't understand! And they were 11-12 for fuck's sake! Who's to say they won't try again if they know?"

Johnnie's dark eyebrows shot up to his hairline. His mother almost never swore like that. Sure she said a few curse words here and there whenever she was cranky from her lack of coffee, but never in his life had he heard her become so furious. 

"I don't want to make the children miserable, I want to put them both on the guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. "You know what, Harry, Tess, Hermione, and Ron are wandering off by themselves - they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."

"But he's fine now so -"

"Sara, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after -"

"But both Harry and Tess will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."

"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."

"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry-"

There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts." Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that..."

There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more.

"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But can we please talk about the giant dragon in the room? I heard you talking to Sara's boy about some check?"

"You're right Molly. He's onto it."

"This is serious, you two." Sara's aggravated voice came in. "If he finds out what that check was for, he's gonna tell Tess. You know how close he is to her." Johnnie could hear his mother run her fingers through her hair out of frustration. "Of all the people to find that damned check, it  **had** to be my kid." There was a heavy silence in the parlor before Sara spoke again. "Look, I know I screwed up telling all of you after Morgan died, and I still feel really terrible about it. But we  **cannot** let my so figure this out. If he tells Tess, she's going to flip."

"And then Black will come after her and twist his way into her mind." Mrs. Weasley said. "That poor girl, she's been through and seen too much for her life! The last thing this child needs is to be put through another traumatizing experience. The same with Harry as well."

Harry and Johnnie heard chairs move. As quietly as they could, they hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight. The parlor door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs.

The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier. Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle.

Fred and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.

"We've got it," Fred whispered to Harry. "We've been improving it."

The badge now read Bighead Boy.

Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed.

Meanwhile Johnnie looked out into the window and asked to himself, "What is so important about that check and why would Tess be involved with Harry's past?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Boarding the Train

Everyone woke up the next day feeling groggy. Most of the wizards there, case in point Tess, wanted to keep sleeping, but they needed to catch the train to school.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better." Ron said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione, Sara, and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly.

Harry or Johnnie had no chance to speak to Tess, Ron, or Hermione about what they overheard last night in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."

"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.

Hermione still held her head up, ready to defend her new feline friend. "You know the Egyptians used to worship cats." 

"Yeah, along with a dung beetle." Ron shot back.

Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

"They're here, he said. "Harry, come on."

Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

"In you get, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Tess, Sara, Johnnie, Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.

The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary. though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found the trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.

Sara kept close to Johnnie's elbow all the way into the station, mostly because she was seeing him off to a new school and she did not want to miss it.

"Right then," Mr. Weasley said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."

He strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.

In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.

Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.

Once the remaining Weasleys, Crosswells, and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, then Tess, then Johnnie and finally Harry. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" Sara squealed at Johnnie then began talking at a rapid pace. "This is such a big deal! Going to a new school and not to mention a new country! And you're of age! Oh please tell me about the girls you're going to meet and I'm babbling again aren't I?"

"Yes you are." said Johnnie who was blushing.

"Do take care, won't you Harry?" Mrs. Weasley said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron...no, they're not corned beef... Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear..."

"Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."

He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.

"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave -" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I - er - I heard you and Mrs. Weasley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Harry added quickly. "Sorry -"

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious.

"No - honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."

"Harry, you must be scared - "

"I'm not," said Harry sincerely. "Really," he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"

Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.

"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but -"

"Arthur!" called Sara, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Hurry up! It's almost time!"

"He's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice, "Listen, I want you to give me your word -"

" - that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.

"Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. "Harry, swear to me you won't go looking for Black and if you find out anything at all suspicious, don't tell Tess."

Harry stared, "What?!"

There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.

"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens -"

"Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.

Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.

"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron, Tess, and Hermione as the train picked up speed.

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.

This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. Harry, Tess, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with gray. 

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.

"How'd you know that?" Ron asked. "How is it she knows everything?"

"It's on his suitcase, Ronald" she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

"I know this guy!"  Tess said from the door. "I met him before I went to Hogwarts. He stopped by my aunt's office. In fact, he was the one who talked me into going to that school."

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Harry, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile. Hermione gestured to the vacant spot next to her. Tess was sitting next to Harry who was sitting next to Lupin. Ron was on the other side with the other two wizards.

"That's obvious," whispered Ron. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione had already had two Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumors that the job was jinxed, which drove a lot of people away from it.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks good hex would finish him off, doesn't he?"

Johnnie was silent as stone. He eyed the wizard like he was flipping through the pages of a new book. Except Johnnie got the strongest feeling of familiarity around Professor R.J Lupin, as if he had met the man before. The only problem was, he had never known anything about him.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked Johnnie.

"I'm thinking." He said. "I know Tess met this guy a couple of years ago but there's something about him that seems off. I think I've met him but I don't think I remember him."

"Maybe you heard him from Sara's conference with him?" Tess wondered.

"No, not that." He said. "Something about the name Lupin just feels familiar. Like I know it somehow."

"Do you think he's asleep?" Harry asked the others.

"Seems to be." said Ron. "Why?"

As he closed the compartment door, Harry said, "I've got to tell you all something."


	10. How To Deal With A Dementing Hitchhiker

The train ride was long and quick at the same time, the day turning into night and the night sky filled with dark clouds and rain.

"Let me get this straight." said Ron. "Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to come after you and Tess?"

"Apparently." Harry replied.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione said worried. "You'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry..."

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."

"Preach brother." said Johnnie, holding up a fist.

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.

"But still." said Tess. "They'll catch Black eventually. I mean pretty much everybody is rooting for his capture.

"Sure." said Johnnie. "Except Azkaban is, or was one of the top security prisons in the world and it doesn't really help that he's a psychopath."

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "That's why most countries are on high alert. No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too. He was imprisoned on over 10 murders."

"But they  **will**  catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..."

D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly to try to ease the tension that had suddenly fallen on the compartment. He nodded towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food. Luckily I saved some from the cart."

"Oh Ron." Tess said, shaking her head. "The host of the bottomless pit known as your stomach."

"Hey!" said Ron. "Food is important, especially if I'm a growing boy."

Johnnie sniggered at Harry's reaction of the words, "growing boy."

Hermione approached Professor Lupin cautiously.

"Er - Professor?" she said. "Excuse me - Professor?"

He didn't move.

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly. "I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Hermione, taking the cauldron cake Ron passed her.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering gray, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"I may be new here but I'm pretty sure that we can't be there yet," said Johnnie, checking his watch.

"So why the pausies?" Tess asked.

"Don't know." Harry replied. "Maybe we've broken down."

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

Harry, who was nearest the door, got up to look into the corridor. All along the carriage, heads were sticking curiously out of their compartments.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

"What's going on?" said Ron's voice from behind Harry.

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron, that was my foot!"

Harry felt his way back to his seat.

"What's going on?" Tess asked.

"Dunno..." Ron muttered. There was a squeaking sound, and Harry saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out. "There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

"Out here?" Tess asked. "I'm pretty sure we're nowhere near a train station."

"Sometimes you don't need a train station to get on a train." Hermione quipped.

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry and Tess' legs.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry -"

"Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?"

"No idea! Sit down -" Johnnie made room as best as she could.

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had almost sat on Crookshanks by accident.

"I'm gonna go and ask the driver what the deal is." came Johnnie's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain. "But guys." He spoke in a voice that oozed authority. "Nobody leaves this compartment, ok? We all need to stick tight together. Understand?"

"Who's that?" Ginny's voice sounded.

"Who's that?" Came Hermione's voice.

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron -"

"Come in and sit down -"

"Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" said Neville.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements in his corner.

None of them spoke.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, gray face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him. He looked at Johnnie. "You too, young man. Stick with your friends."

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. Tess looked like she was going to throw up. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Harry and Tess's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak and floated closer to them.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over them all. Harry felt his own breath catch in his chest. The cold went deeper than his skin. It was inside his chest, it was inside his very heart… Tess felt the same thing. It was like she was being pushed down in ice cold water.

Harry's eyes rolled up into his head. He couldn't see. He was drowning in cold. There was a rushing in his ears as though of water. He was being dragged downward, the roaring growing louder...

And then, from far away, Harry heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams. Tess heard an explosion and felt the heat of a large fire. She could smell the smoke coming from the burning building. They wanted to help whoever it was, they tried to move their arms, but couldn't...a thick white fog was swirling around him, inside both of them -

"Harry! Tess! Are you all right?"

Someone was slapping his face and pinching Tess skin.

"W-what?"

"Wha is 'at?"

Harry and Tess opened their eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking - the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione were kneeling next to them, and above them they could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face. Tess took a few heaving breaths that sounded like she had come back for air after being submerged in water for so long.

Ron and Hermione heaved him back onto his seat.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking quickly toward the door. The hooded creature had vanished. "What happened? Where's that - that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," said Ron, more nervously still.

"Then what was that exploding noise?" Tess asked confused. "And that heat?"

"I didn't hear anything." said Johnnie. "And it's still cool in here."

Harry looked around the bright compartment. Ginny and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.

"But I heard screaming -"

"I heard this boom-"

A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

"Here," he said to Harry and Tess, handing each a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."

Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it. Tess instantly took it and warmth spread to her fingertips and toes.

"What was that thing?" he asked Lupin.

"A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the guards of Azkaban. It was searching the train for Sirius Black."

Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket.

"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

He strolled past Harry and disappeared into the corridor but not before giving his coat to Tess. "You look like you need the warmth."

"Are you sure you're both ok?" said Hermione, watching Harry and Tess anxiously.

"I don't get it ... what happened?" said Harry, wiping more sweat off his face.

"Well " Neville said. "- that thing - the Dementor - stood there and looked around - and both - you -"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," said Ron, who still looked scared. "You two went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching -"

"And Professor Lupin stepped in front of you two, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," said Ginny, in a higher voice than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

"Me too." said Johnnie. "And I thought that's what you felt in Los Angeles."

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

"But didn't any of you fall off your seats?" said Tess.

"No," said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though..."

Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu; he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he and Tess gone to pieces like that, when no one else had?

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, and said, with a small smile, "I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know..."

Harry took a bite and to his great surprise felt a warm fire light in his body, the kind of warmth one felt after being in a cold winter storm for so long.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," Professor Lupin had reappeared. "Are you all right, Harry? You too, Quintessa? Johnnie?"

Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name. But Johnnie took that liberty.

"H-how do you know my name?"

Lupin only chuckled. "I've known you since you were very small. I better go check on anyone else who needs chocolate. I find that it helps with any problem."


	11. The Welcome Back Feast

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"All right, you four?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled, Harry could only assume, by an invisible horse, because when they climbed inside and shut the door, the coach set off all by itself, bumping and swaying in procession.

The coach smelled faintly of mold and straw. Harry felt better since the chocolate, but still weak. Ron and Hermione kept looking at him sideways, as though frightened he might collapse again. Tess managed on her own well but Ron helped her occasionally. Johnnie was already with the first years for his sorting.

As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Harry saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf him again; he leaned back into the lumpy seat and closed his eyes until they had passed the gates. The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out.

As Harry stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in his ear.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Harry's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

"Oh go swallow some of that grease you rub in your scalp!" said Tess, whose jaw was clenched.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" said Malfoy loudly ignoring Tess."Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, Weasley?"

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage and looked at Tess and Draco suspiciously.

Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no - er - Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the three of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Harry followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Crosswell! I want to see you both!"

Harry and Tess turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Harry fought his way over to her with a feeling of foreboding: Professor McGonagall had a way of making him feel he must have done something wrong.

"There's no need to look so worried - I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."

Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Harry and Tess away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Harry and Tess to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you both were taken ill on the train."

Before Harry could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

Harry felt himself going red in the face. It was bad enough that he'd passed out, or whatever he had done, without everyone making all this fuss.

"I'm fine," he said, "I don't need anything -"

"Yet." Tess muttered.

"Oh, it's you two, is it?" said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring this and bending down to stare closely at him. "I suppose you've been doing something dangerous again? Frankly, I'm not surprised that Miss Crosswell here has managed to get in trouble on her first night."

"What can I say Nurse?" Tess asked innocently. "Trouble is my specialty, but for future reference, I'm just as innocent as the day I was conceived."

Harry rolled his eyes while groaning, "Oh please."

"It was a Dementor, Poppy," said Professor McGonagall before any quarrell could start.

They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.

"Setting Dementors around a school," she muttered, pushing back Harry's hair and feeling his forehead. "These two won't be the last one who collapses. Yes, he's all clammy. Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate -"

"I'm not delicate!" said Harry crossly while at the same time Tess exclaimed, "Oh hell to the nah I'm delicate!"

"Of course you're not," said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking his pulse.

"What do they need?" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "Bed rest? Should they perhaps spend tonight in the hospital wing?"

"We're fine!" said Harry, jumping up. The thought of what Draco Malfoy would say if he had to go to the hospital wing was torture.

"Well, they should have some chocolate, at the very least," said Madam Pomfrey, who was now trying to peer into Harry's eyes.

"We've already had some," said Tess. "New guy, Professor Lupin gave us some. He gave it to all of us."

"Did he, now?" said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. "So we've finally got a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his remedies?"

"Apparently so." said Tess nodding in agreement.

"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter? Crosswell?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

"Yes," said Harry.

"Never better." said Tess.

"Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."

Harry and Tess went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing, muttering to herself. They had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.

It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.

"Oh damn it!" said Tess softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"

New students at Hogwarts were sorted into Houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the House they were best suited to (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin). Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Harry, Tess, and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Tess and Harry. Had the story of their collapsing in front of the Dementor traveled that fast?

He and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats. Tess looked over and saw Johnnie talking with the Ravenclaws. Tess was proud that he was at least sorted into somewhere.

"What was all that about?" he muttered to Harry.

Harry started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and he broke off.

Professor Dumbledore, though very old, always gave an impression of great energy. He had several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles, and an extremely crooked nose. He was often described as the greatest wizard of the age, but that wasn't why Harry respected him. You couldn't help trusting Albus Dumbledore, and as Harry watched him beaming around at the students, he felt really calm for the first time since the Dementor had entered the train compartment.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

He paused, and Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had said about Dumbledore not being happy with the Dementors guarding the school.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly, and Harry and Ron glanced at each other. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said.

Percy, who was sitting a few seats down from Harry, puffed out his chest again and stared around impressively. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he continued, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year.

"First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Harry among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"Look at Snape!" Ron hissed in Harry's ear.

Professor Snape, the Potions master, was staring along the staff table at Professor Lupin. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but even Harry, who hated Snape, was startled at the expression twisting his thin, sallow face. it was beyond anger: it was loathing. Harry knew that expression only too well; it was the look Snape wore every time he set eyes on Harry. Snape also looked at Tess like that sometimes.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Grubbly-Plank, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

Harry, Ron,Tess, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Harry leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets before them filled suddenly with food and drink. Harry, suddenly ravenous, helped himself to everything he could reach and began to eat.

It was a delicious feast; the hall echoed with talk, laughter, and the clatter of knives and forks. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione, however, were eager for it to finish so that they could talk to Hagrid. They knew how much being made a teacher would mean to him. Hagrid wasn't a fully qualified wizard; he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he had not committed. It had been Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione who had cleared Hagrid's name last year.

At long last, when the last morsels of pumpkin tart had melted from the golden platters, Dumbledore gave the word that it was time for them all to go to bed, and they got their chance.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione squealed as they reached the teachers' table.

"All down ter you four," said Hagrid, wiping his shining face on his napkin as he looked up at them. "Can' believe it...great man, Dumbledore...came straight down to me hut after Professor Grubbly-Plank said he'd had enough...It's what I always wanted..."

Tess went over and gave Hagrid the biggest hug she could ever deliver and that caused Hagrid to become overwhelmed with emotion, he buried his face in his napkin, and Professor McGonagall shooed them away.

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione joined the Gryffindors streaming up the marble staircase and, very tired now, along more corridors, up more and more stairs, to the hidden entrance to Gryffindor Tower, where a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress singing and holding a glass.

"Fortuna Major!" Seamus Finnegan said to the Fat Lady who told him to wait and continued to sing in opera voice.

"Get this." said the Irish wizard. "She won't let me in."

"Fortuna Major." said Harry.

"No, no, no, wait, wait." said the Fat Lady. "Watch this." She continued to escalate in voice and then started shrieking and the glass broke (She actually smashed it against the wall). "Amazing, just with my voice."

"Fortuna Major." Harry said again.

"Yes alright." said the Fat Lady. "Go in."

"Thank you."

The Gryffindor students piled in with snippets of conversation here and there.

"She can't even sing."

"Exactly how many Galleons is that?"

"I don't know you tell me."

Harry went to his third year boys dormitory while Tess went to the girls.


	12. Wanna Know How Girls Work? Pay Attention

The boys in their dormitory were being wild boys while the girls were all starting their nightly ritual. The girl's dormitory in comparison with the boys was less wild and more cleaner. Occasionally Tess did turn her bed into a pigsty just to annoy Parvati Patil but after a while Parvati stopped attempting to fix it.

"So girls." Lavender Brown said. "Hogsmeade visits are near and you know what lies in Hogsmeade. Clothes! And remember, a lady must look her best!" While she was talking with Parvati and Winona Ryder, Tess moved to where Hermione was standing near the window but not before grabbing something from her bag.

"Hey Mione." said Tess cheerfully. "Why so frowny? Owl crap in your dinner?"

"No." said Hermione. "First, that's disgusting, and two, this is not a sad face, this is my thinking face."

"Wow." said Tess sarcastically. "That sounds like a fun way to think if I was an obsessed nerd, which is why I'm glad you're not on your way to total boring death by studying."

"I'm not obsessed." said Hermione. "I'm dedicated."

"Blah Blah Blah." said Tess boringly while handing Hermione a Kit Kat. "Have some chocolate. Keeps your strength up while you're menstruating."

Hermione looked at her best friend strangely. "I haven't even started menstruating yet."

"Yeah?" Tess asked, biting into her chocolate. "Neither have I." She noticed the paper in her friend's hand. "What is that?" She yanked it out of Hermione's hand and read it. "I'm positive that there's no computer here but whoever programs these schedules had some sort of malfunction."

Hermione scoffed. "And what makes you think that something is wrong with my course schedule?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that you can't have 2 classes at once." said Tess. "I don't doubt the Fastest Man Alive, but I'm pretty sure even the Flash can't be in two lessons at once."

"Who is Superman?" Winona asked. Apparently the rest of the girls were eavesdropping after getting bored with their conversation.

"I think he's some sort of superhero." Hermione said. "An American cultural thing I suppose."

"Some sort of superhero?" Tess scoffed. "The Flash is an icon! He's a founding member of the Justice League, which qualifies him as one of the greatest comic book heros ever!"

"Is he handsome?" Lavender asked.

"He is H-O-T hot." Tess remarked.  

"Speaking of boys." said Parvati. "Anyone find anyone interesting? I think that Cedric Diggory's a cutie!"

"Hermione?" Tess asked her best friend, with raising her eyebrows. "Fancy anyone?"

"What? No!" Hermione spluttered. "I just want friends, not crushes! All I really need are friends, like Tess, you're the tough one."

"What about Harry?" Winona asked.

"He's the sweet one." said Hermione.

"And Ron?" Tess asked.

Hermione only scoffed. "He's the other one."

The girls however did not take this the way Hermione expected them to and began giggling except for Tess who just rolled her eyes.

"The other one hmm?"

"No!"

"What about you Tess?" Lavender asked. "Like anyone?"

"Me, ain't nobody got room for crushes." Tess replied coolly. "Don't have the time, don't have the uterus."

The girls looked a little weirded out at Tess' remark until the tension cleared with Hermione, who decided to have a little payback by asking, "What about you and Malfoy?"

Tess spat out her water immediately and it landed on Parvati, who in turn, freaked out a little and was wiping her forehead. "Whacha say now?"

"You know." said Hermione. "Your constant insults whenever he comes by, especially about his hair."

"Only because it's so greasy I could see it from satellite view." said Tess. "And what makes you think you can ship me and him? We have nothing in common!"

"Ship?" Parvati asked. "I don't recall any sort of boat in this conversation."

"No." said Tess. "Shipping is an American term for when you pair a couple of people together in your head, but it's only if you think they're right for each other."

"Anyway." Hermione said out loud to get back on topic. "Did you really think that I didn't notice you and Malfoy staring at each other at dinner for about 2 minutes?"

"So talk about Malfoy!" Parvati exclaimed.

By then, Tess was red in the face, heat bursting in her cheeks and she had never felt more embarrassed in her life. So instead of thinking of a witty comeback, she threw her pillow at Lavender.

"Take that back." She demanded. Tess only stuck out her middle finger at her and Lavender retaliated by throwing it back. Winona followed suit and started throwing her pillow at her.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" Parvati yelled and soon everyone except Hermione was in a frenzy, pillows were in the air and it only took about 20 seconds for Hermione to finally cave in and say, "Oh why not?" and joined in the third year girls in their makeshift pillow fight.


	13. Nearsight in Foresight

Classes rolled in faster than a snapping firework the next day. Each of the Golden Quartet had their classes and their electives. Tess did not have Divination and Ancient Runes with the rest of her gang but she did have Care of Magical Creatures with them.

Right after breakfast, Tess moved on to a couple of her basic classes and then Divination was next.

The journey through the castle to North Tower was not too long. Two years at Hogwarts had given Tess enough time to explore some parts of the castle. But she hadn't had much time to explore the full corners of the castle because of the crazy mysteries involving her friends and the school. In other words, she had never been to the North Tower before.

"There's - got - to - be - a - short - cut," Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff panted, as they climbed the seventh long staircase and emerged on an unfamiliar landing, where there was nothing but a large painting of a bare stretch of grass hanging on the stone wall.

"I think it's this way," said Tess, peering down the empty passage to the right.

"Can't be," said Zacharias. "That's south. Look, you can see a bit of the lake outside the window..."

Just then, they noticed the painting. A fat, dappled-gray pony had just ambled onto the grass and was grazing nonchalantly.

"Aha!" he yelled, seeing Tess, Zac and a few others headed to Divination. "What villains are these, that trespass upon my private lands! Come to scorn at my fall, perchance? Draw, you knaves, you dogs!" They watched in astonishment as the little knight tugged his sword out of its scabbard and began brandishing it violently, hopping up and down in rage. But the sword was too long for him; a particularly wild swing made him overbalance, and he landed facedown in the grass.

"You ok, man?" said Tess, moving closer to the picture.

"Get back, you scurvy braggart-" The knight stopped when he saw her. "Ah! Forgive me, I did not expect to see such a lady as fair as you. Would you like me to smite these imbeciles that stand behind you?"

The knight seized his sword again and used it to push himself back up, but the blade sank deeply into the grass and, though he pulled with all his might, he couldn't get it out again. Finally, he had to flop back down onto the grass and push up his visor to mop his sweating face.

"No, these imbeciles are with me." said Tess. "We're actually a little lost, can you show us the way to the North Tower?"

"A quest!" The knight seemed to glow with happiness. He clanked to his feet and shouted, "Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our goal, or else shall perish bravely in the charge!" He gave the sword another fruitless tug, tried and failed to mount the fat pony, gave up, and cried, "On foot then, good sirs and gentle ladies! On! On!"

And he ran, clanking loudly, into the left side of the frame and out of sight. They hurried after him along the corridor, following the sound of his armor. Every now and then they spotted him running through a picture ahead.

"Be of stout heart, the worst is yet to come!" yelled the knight, and they saw him reappear in front of an alarmed group of women in crinolines, whose picture hung on the wall of a narrow spiral staircase.

Puffing loudly, Tess and her classmates, climbed the tightly spiraling steps, getting dizzier and dizzier, until at last they heard the murmur of voices above them and knew they had reached the classroom.

"Farewell!" cried the knight, popping his head into a painting of some sinister-looking monks. "Farewell, my comrades-in-arms! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Yeah, we'll call you," muttered Justin Flinch-Fletchy as the knight disappeared, "if we ever need someone loony enough to own a nut house."

They climbed the last few steps and emerged onto a tiny landing, where most of the class was already assembled. There were no doors off this landing, but Zacharias nudged Justin and pointed at the ceiling, where there was a circular trapdoor with a brass plaque on it.

"'Sibyll Trelawney, Divination teacher,'" He read. "How're we supposed to get up there?"

As though in answer to his question, the trapdoor suddenly opened, and a silvery ladder descended right at Harry's feet. Everyone got quiet.

"That answer your question?" Tess remarked. "After you." 

Justin climbed the ladder first.

They all emerged into the strangest-looking classroom she had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

A voice came suddenly out of the shadows, a soft, misty sort of voice.

"Welcome," it said. "How nice to see you in the physical world at last."

Professor Trelawney moved into the light, and they saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Tess' immediate impression of the woman was of a large, glittering hippie. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.

"Sit, my children, sit," she said, and they all climbed awkwardly into armchairs or sank onto poufs. Tess sat with Susan Bones and Padma Patil around the same round table.

"Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who had seated herself in a winged armchair in front of the fire. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

Nobody said anything to this extraordinary pronouncement. Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you...Books can take you only so far in this field..." At these words, Tess grinned thinking of Hermione's face at the news that books wouldn't be much help in this subject. "Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearances, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney went on, her enormous, gleaming eyes moving from face to nervous face. "It is a Gift granted to few. You, boy," she said suddenly to Terry Boot, who almost toppled off his pouf. "Is your owl well?"

"I think so," said Justin tremulously.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, dear," said Professor Trelawney, the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings. Justin gulped. Professor Trelawney continued placidly. "We will be covering the basic methods of Divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress to palmistry."

"In the second term," Professor Trelawney went on, "we shall progress to the crystal ball - if we have finished with fire omens, that is. Unfortunately, classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And in June, one of our teachers will leave us forever."

A very tense silence followed this pronouncement, but Professor Trelawney seemed unaware of it.

"I wonder, dear," she said to Lisa Turpin, who was nearest and shrank back in her chair, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot?"

Lisa, looking relieved, stood up, took an enormous teapot from the shelf, and put it down on the table in front of Professor Trelawney.

"Thank you, my dear. Incidentally, that thing you are hoping for - it will happen on Friday the 19th of December."

Lisa smiled.

"Now, I want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside down on its saucer, wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing."

While everyone was getting their cups, Tess said to Susan and Padma, "It's no wonder this teacher hasn't been down from this attic. You think  **you** would remember a walking chandelier." Susan and Padma chuckled at this.

When everyone had had their teacups filled, they went back to their table and tried to drink the scalding tea quickly. They swilled the dregs around as Professor Trelawney had instructed, then drained the cups and swapped over.

"Right," said Padma as they both opened their books at pages five and six. "What can you see in mine?"

"Some kind of circle," said Susan. The heavily perfumed smoke in the room was making it annoying for Tess to breathe. "I'm still trying to read it though."

"I see some sort of pattern." said Tess. "I'm still trying to cross-reference it to my books."

"Never realized you were much for studying." Padma remarked.

"I'm a delinquent not a dummy." said Tess. "Big difference."

"Well they both start with a D so that's a start." said Susan causing Padma to snort.

"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.

"Right, you've got a circle..." Tess consulted Unfogging the Future while reading Susan's. "That means you're going to have discovered something a little too late' - might be homework or something."

"My turn..." Padma peered into Tess teacup, his forehead wrinkled with effort. "This is strange. You know how a mud puddle is all murky and blurred? That's what yours is Tess, a blurred reading."

Professor Trelawney whirled around as soon as those words escaped Padma's mouth.

"Let me see that, my dear," she said reprovingly to Padma, sweeping over and snatching Tess' cup from him. Everyone went quiet to watch.

Professor Trelawney was staring into the teacup, rotating it counterclockwise.

"This is quite unusual."

She lowered her huge eyes to Tess' cup again and continued to turn it.

"I cannot get one sign. Could this mean-"

"What?" asked Tess unsure of what was going on.

Trelawney looked at Tess in wonder. "Why...I cannot read your future."

Everyone was staring, transfixed,at Professor Trelawney, who placed the cup down and put her hands on the point between Tess' eyebrows. "You my dear...are Fogged."

Everyone gasped at this. Tess looked confused. "What do you mean I'm Fogged?"

"A Fog." read Blaise Zabini from his book. "A rare phenomenon in which a wizard's future cannot be read unless their past is resolved."

  Not wanting to talk about her past with her classmates, Tess dropped the subject and the lesson continued until the bell rang and just as everyone else was scrambling out through the trapdoor, Tess walked back to where Trelawney was cleaning up pieces of a teacup that someone had knocked over. 

"What do you mean, my future can't be read?" Tess asked. "I'm not going to die am I?"

"I dread not young one." said Trelawney. "But as Mr. Zabini said, the only way a Fog can be uncovered is if you uncover a mystery of your life." She looked at her straight in the eyes, and Tess got the feeling her soul was being looked into. "And I sense a great cloud over your heart, a question that has plagued you your entire life."

"I don't know." said Tess, drumming her fingers on the table. 'I guess I've already come to terms with my past. Apart from my mom, I know nothing about my dad. Except for the part where I was conceived on alcohol and stress and he left before I was born."

"Then I sense you know the answer, Quintessa." said Trelawney. "But you fear to acknowledge it."

Deep down in her heart, Tess knew her professor was right. Throughout her life, she had always wondered what happened to her father, but never got a straight answer. Not from her mother, not from her aunt, not from anyone.

 _But could it be possible?_  She asked herself.  _That the man who walked out on my mom is out there alive somewhere?_


	14. Contemplating on Deadbeat Daddy

Tess sat in her Arithmancy class listening to Professor Vector give the basics on the study. But Tess wasn't thinking about wizarding mathematics then. Her mind was spinning with what happened with Divination.

Even though he never showed up in any part of her life, she still wanted to know about her father. She certainly didn't get her smile or  her talent for trouble from her mother. Morgan was more calm and focused. Tess on the other hand, was always full of energy and just wanted to run around all day.

Throughout her life, the absence of her father wasn't a burden, but occasionally as a little girl, Tess always wondered where her daddy was since there was literally no trace of him in her life. Johnnie was a different story. His father had an excuse for not being there for his son's life. He was killed in a war, he was helping people in need. Of course Morgan was devastated when her brother died, but at least he was there for his son when he was born and she took every opportunity to tell the young Crosswells about Micheal's life. But every time Tess asked about her own father, her mother would become cold and distant and would end the conversation before it even began.

Tess wasn't the first child of her generation in America to have a single parent. In fact, she was one of hundreds of children in New York City and one of thousands in America who grew up with a single parent. In America, when it came to domestic life, parents divorcing or having a parent walk out on you was about as common as cleaning the dishes. 

While Professor Vector droned on and on about numbers and magic, Tess sat in her seat wondering if her father was alive, why didn't he ever come back? Didn't he want a child? Did he want a daughter? Did he even want to be a father? 

The trouble was, Morgan was always cryptic whenever she talked about Tess' father, even when Johnnie asked about him. She would always say something like, "Never mention that wizard" or "He's dead to this family". 

For years, Tess assumed that he was actually dead, until one night, just a few months before Morgan passed.

_August, 1986_

_In the middle of the night, 6 year old Tess Crosswell shot up in her bed. She could heard arguing voices coming from the kitchen in her Chicago home._

_Her curiosity overpowering her judgement, Tess crept out of her bed, careful not to disturb her cousin who was visiting with his mother._

_"-how many times must I drop this conversation?" Morgan's voice carried from the kitchen. Placing her ear on the door, the young Quintessa listened very closely, careful enough to keep her breathing silent.  There was a small keyhole but it was wide enough for Tess to see her mother and her aunt sitting at a table drinking some amber liquid._

_"Morgan, even Johnnie is asking quesitons." Sara spoke from the door. "You're gonna have to talk about him sooner or later."_

_"Sara, it's as simple as putting two and two together." Morgan retorted. "I want nothing to do with Quintessa's father. Not then, not now. I spent years protecting the children from **his**  mistakes and I won't stop now. But Harry, he has no business being with that crowd of pigs and yet Dumbledore, for whatever reason trusts them more than me to raise him no matter how much I fight him and the Ministry."_

_"Morgan, you're hurting." said Sara. "I understand how you feel. When Micheal died, I cried too. But I also didn't have time for a pity party. I had a kid to raise and I couldn't be more proud of you. Not that I'm saying you're bad, it's just that you're doing amazing and that I couldn't ask for a better mother for Tess and I'm gonna stop. But whatever he has done or who he is, that wizard is still Tess' dad, and she has a right to know at least his name. He's part of her family."_

_"In case you forgot Sara," Morgan tightened her grip on the glass. "He **left**  his family. He made a promise to me to put his family first over everything. But he made his choice and I made mine."_

_"All I'm saying is, that you don't have to forgive him." said Sara comfortingly, grabbing Morgan's hand. "But it would be wrong to forget him."_

_Morgan cast her sky blue eyes down to her necklace. From behind the door, Tess peered closer and saw that it was a silver heart. There was an inscription on it but Tess couldn't read it because it was too tiny from where she was standing._

_"You know what the crazy thing is?" asked Morgan quietly. "There's a tiny part of me that still loves him. At the moment, I'm not sure I can forgive him. But one day, I will talk about him."_

Maybe Tess believed her mother out of the love she had for her but she did have a point. Was her father there for when Tess was born? No. Was he there for her first birthday? No. And was he there when a gnome once bit her foot? 

 _Hell no._ Tess thought to herself.   _Mom's right. Whatever his excuse, he still abandoned his family._

But no matter how hard she tried, she could not deny her curiosity for her missing parent. Wherever he was, whoever he was, that curiosity would not be sated until those questions were answered.


	15. Why Insulting a Hippogriff is a Terrible Idea

By the time the lunch bell rang, Tess was more than happy to be out of a classroom. Noticing her best friends going down the stairs to the Great Hall, she ran up to them

"There you are, finally," said Hermione in an exasperated tone as Tess walked  to her. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!"

"Who's got the Grim now?" Tess asked completley confused. Clearly she had much to catch up on with her friends.

"Harry does." said Ron. "He's got someone after him who's going to kill him."

"Well obviously because of Voldemort being after Harry." said Tess.

"Finally!" said Hermione. "Someone has common sense."

"But that doesn't mean it's not less of a warning." said Tess. "Not everyone has the Gift and Divination is not something you think, it's something you feel."

"Never really thought about it that way when I signed up." said Harry, adjusting his backpack.

"Of course you didn't because you chose the same classes as Ron." said Hermione. "Tell me Quintessa." Tess' purple eyes blazed at Hermione for using her full name. "What omen did you receive? The Grim as well?"

"None because apparently my future can't be read." said Tess. Everyone stopped and looked at her in shock, even Hermione.

"How is that possible?" Ron asked. "You can't be dying yet."

"No Ron." groaned Tess. "My future is blurred, it's Foggy."

'You're Fogged?" Ron asked.

"What's a Fog?" Harry asked.

"It's something blocking a wizard's future from being read." said Ron. "I heard Dad talking about one once but I've never seen it happen. According to him, the only thing that can uncover it is if they solve something from their past."

"What does that even mean?" Harry asked. "Sure Tess knows a lot, her mother dying, New York-

"Guys." said Tess whose voice was cracking. "As much as I appreciate your support as my best friends, I  **really**  don't wanna talk about it."

They all sat with Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.

"Oh snap!" Tess exclaimed. 'You did not just say that! Look alive men!"

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!"

She snatched up her bag and stalked away.

Ron frowned after her.

"What's she talking about?" he said to Harry. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet." Harry only shrugged while Tess gave an "I don't know" shrug

Harry was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday's rain had cleared; the sky was a clear, pale gray, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first ever Care of Magical Creatures class.

Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other and Tess kept out of their quarrel. Harry walked beside them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was only when he spotted three only-too-familiar backs ahead of them that he realized they must be having these lessons with the Slytherins. Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling. Harry was quite sure he knew what they were talking about.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" he called as the class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

For one nasty moment, Harry thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest; Harry had had enough unpleasant experiences in there to last him a lifetime. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books -"

" Exactly how do we do that?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Harry, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

The class all shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look -"

He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!" Everyone took their chances stroking the books while Hagrid went off to prepare the class. However, one Monster Book got loose and went attacking one Neville Longbottom.

"I think they're funny," Hermione said to her friends.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off! God, this place is going to the dogs. Wait until my father hears that Dumbledore's got this oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him -"

"Shut up, Malfoy or else I'll shove that tie up your mouth" Harry said before Tess could step in. 

"Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you -"

"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Harry had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

Harry could sort of see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different color: stormy gray, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer..."

No one seemed to want to. Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Harry had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."

"Right - who wants ter go first?"

Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.

"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.

"Ah screw it." Tess walked forward, taking off her leather jacket, throwing it to Ron and rolling up the sleeves of her white button up shirt.

There was an intake of breath from behind her and heard several whispers behind her back,

"Are you insane?"

"I think that's hardly a question. It's Tess Crosswell."

She of course, ignored them. She grabbed the fence and swung her entire body over the paddock fence then rolled down, landing on her feet.

"Brave soul yeh are Tess!" roared Hagrid. "Right then - let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He untied one of the chains, pulled the gray Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously but he held in his breath as well.

"Easy now, Tess," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink...Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much..."

Tess' eyes immediately began to water, but she didn't shut them. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Tess with one fierce orange eye. "Tha's it," said Hagrid. "Tha's it, Tess...now, bow."

Tess never bowed for anyone, but she did as she was told. She gave a short bow and then looked up.

The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at her. It didn't move. 

"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right - back away, now, Tess, easy does it - Slowly there"

But then, to Tess' enormous surprise, the Hippogriff suddenly walked forward just a little bit, bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done, Tess!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right - yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

Feeling no reason to back out then, Tess moved slowly toward the Hippogriff and reached out toward it. She patted the beak several times and the Hippogriff closed its eyes lazily, as though enjoying it.

The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.

"Righ' then, Tess," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him now!"

Tess snapped her neck around. "What?" Ignoring her cries of protest, Hagrid lifted her up and placed her firmly on Buckbeak's back.

This was more than she had bargained for. She was used to a broomstick and her mom's Animagus form; but she wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same.

"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that..."

"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.

"Hagrid, if you don't get me off, I swear I'm gonna-AAAHHHHHHH!" Gripping tight to Buckbeak's neck, Tess felt the Hippogriff's powerful wings flap as they soared into the windy sky.

It was nothing like riding a broomstick. It might as well have been similar to riding a pegasus, except it was part bird and had smooth feathers which Tess had a hard time maintianing her grip on. They didn't stop once they circled the castle. They rose higher and higher and higher. They flew past the towers of the immense castle, over the greenhouses and the Great Hall, literally getting a bird's eye view of Hogwarts. They flew over the castle for a bit more before Buckbeak gradually flew over to the Black Lake. Tess  loosened her hold on Buckbeak's neck and held her arms wide open, feeling as if  **she**  was flying. 

"WHOOOOOO!" She screamed while laughing. The moment ended when Hagrid whistled then, and Buckbeak wheeled, beating his way back to the paddock, and galloping to a halt once he landed. As Tess slid off, the class cheered save for Malfoy who muttered, "Oh please".

"Good work, Tess!" roared Hagrid. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Emboldened by Harry's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Harry watched.

"How am I doing me first day?" Hagrid asked Ron.

"Brilliant..Professor." said Ron getting a clamp on the back from Hagrid.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for everyone to hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Crosswell could do it...I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff.

"Hey!" Tess said walking up to Malfoy and pushing him back. "Back off alright?!"

"Well this beast can't be all great and mighty." Malfoy sneered. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

It happened in a flash; Tess saw steely talons flapping wildly and and the next thing she knew, she was in the grass and so was Malfoy, groaning in pain as blood blossomed over his robes. Tess looked around panicking, wondering who else had been hurt. Luckily it was only Malfoy. Sure she get along with him but she still didn't want him maimed.

"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled as the class panicked. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'!" said Hagrid, who had gone very white. "Someone help me - gotta get him outta here -Class dismissed!"

Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Hagrid lifted Malfoy easily. As they passed, Harry saw that there was a long, deep gash on Malfoy's arm; blood splattered the grass and Hagrid ran with him, up the slope toward the castle.

Very shaken, the Care of Magical Creatures class followed at a walk. The Slytherins were all shouting about Hagrid.

"They should sack him straight away!" said Pansy Parkinson, who was in tears.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" snapped Dean Thomas. Crabbe and Goyle flexed their muscles threateningly.

They all climbed the stone steps into the deserted entrance hall.

"I'm going to see if he's okay!" said Pansy, and they all watched her run up the marble staircase. The Slytherins, still muttering about Hagrid, headed away in the direction of their dungeon common room; Harry, Ron, Tess and Hermione proceeded upstairs to Gryffindor Tower.

A couple of questions remained. When Malfoy insulted the Hippogriff, did she not react in time or did Malfoy push her out of the way?

 


	16. Bullies and Boggarts

The news of Hagrid's disastrous lesson had spread in a frenzy. People had taken to fearing Hagrid's classes so Hagrid made them less hands-on. Draco had taken advantage of his injury and was using it to spread his gloating and pain just to get sympathy. Mostly it was working with the Slytherins.

"Does it hurt terribly Draco?" Pansy Parkinson asked one lunch.

"It comes and it goes." said Malfoy rubbing his arm. "Still, I consider myself lucky. Another minute without Madam Pomfrey, and I could have lost my arm. I couldn't possibly do any homework for weeks."

Out of the the entire fiasco, the only thing nobody dared to mention, was the split second in which Malfoy pushed Tess out of harms way, therefore saving her life. The moment was unspoken in or out of school halls, probably from people either not caring or not willing to draw on the subject. Even Tess and Malfoy avoided talking about it.

"Listen to Malfoy." said Ron bitterly. "He's really laying it thick isn't he?"

"Yeah, well at least Hagrid didn't get fired." said Harry.

"Yeah but I hear Draco's father's furious." said Hermione. "And considering that he's the school's governor, things might get worse."

Johnnie, who was sitting next to them, in his Ravenclaw uniform, save for the vest and robes, scoffed. "Might get worse? Hermione, this school might become involved in a lawsuit, hell, even Dumbledore or Hagrid might get sued."

"Either way." said Tess. "We haven't heard the end of this."

Professor Lupin wasn't there when the quartet arrived at their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.

"Good afternoon third years" he said. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

A few curious looks were exchanged as the class put away their books. They had never had a practical Defense Against the Dark Arts class before, unless you counted the memorable class last year when their teacher had brought a cageful of wild pixies to class and set them loose. 

"This should be interesting." Tess whispered to Hermione. Unbeknownst to him, Lupin's ears picked up her words and only smiled at the girls.

"I trust you Miss Crosswell, you will not be dissapointed." said Professor Lupin. "Right then, if you'd follow me."

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where they saw a rusty door.

"Inside, please," said Professor Lupin, opening it and standing back.

The staffroom, a long, paneled room full of old, mismatched chairs, was empty.

Everyone's attention was shaken by the rattling of a wardrobe.

"Intriguing isn't it?," asked Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is inside?"

"That's a Boggart that is." said Dean Thomas confidently.

"Very good Mr. Thomas." said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backward in alarm. "Now can anyone tell me why Mr. Thomas guessed right?"

"Boggarts like the dark." said Tess. "They use enclosed spaces to hide until they jump at whoever crosses their path."

"Excellent Miss Crosswell." said Lupin. "Take 10 points to Gryffindor on your first day. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, for those of you who don't know, what  **is**  a Boggart?"

Hermione Granger as usual ,put up her hand.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means, that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

"Er - because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin."It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing."

"Sounds like reverse psychology." Tess muttered, mildly amused by her comparison.

"We will practice the charm," said Professor Lupin. "Without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But a little louder and very clear. Riddikulus!" The class repeated.

"This class is ridiculous." Malfoy muttered to Crabbe and Goyle.

"Neville, will you step forward?"

Trembling slightly, Neville walked forward to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. 

"Right, Mr. Longbottom," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed. Even Gregory grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful.

"Professor Snape...hmmm...yes, frightens all. I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er - yes," said Neville nervously. "But - I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin, now smiling. "I want you to picture you wearing her clothes, only her clothes very clearly in your mind."

Neville looked startled, but said, "Well...she carries..."

"We don't need to hear." said Professor Lupin. "As long as you see it, we'll see it."

"When the Boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of your fear." said Lupin. "And you will raise your wand - thus - and cry "Riddikulus" - and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, you may find your result quite pleasant. I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical..."

The room went quiet. Tess thought...What scared her most in the world?

Her first thought was needles. She never admitted it to anyone, but she hated needles with a passion. It was mostly because she had to get a needle pricking every few years, just like any other witch or wizard in America.

Normally, vaccinations to a wizard would seem barbaric. But in Wizarding America, it was the opposite of one- instead of exposing a human body to a small sample of a virus, Hemo's Law required blood to be drawn to check for them.

Since the early 1950's when there had been a polio epidemic, the Law stated that once in 2 years, every witch or wizard in the United States, man, woman and child, were required to have their blood drawn from their body to be tested. It was medical check up serving many purposes: checking for disease in the body, searching for criminals, cross referencing DNA, donating blood (for vampires) or simply for research purposes.

Tess always hated the feeling of the cold long needle penetrating her muscles. After getting her blood drawn from a single arm, that arm might as well have been an immobile sack of flesh that was attached to her torso (They never gave a pain reliever). Luckily the side effect was temporary for only 24-36 hours. But even so, Tess hated taking that stupid bloody test.

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin, bringing Tess to stop rubbing her arm.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward...Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot -"

They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One - two - three - now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Speak of the Devil, and he came, Severus Snape, as cold and frightening as he was in the dungeons.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. The Boggart was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R - r - riddikulus! " He squeaked.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled; he was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter; the Boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, "Parvati! Forward!"

Parvati Patil walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising -

"Riddikulus!" cried Parvati.

A bandage unraveled at the mummy's feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

"Seamus!" roared Professor Lupin.

Seamus Finnegan walked past Parvati.

Crack! Where the mummy had been was a woman with floorlength black hair and a skeletal, green-tinged face - a banshee. She opened her mouth wide and an unearthly sound filled the room, a long, wailing shriek that made the hair on Harry's head stand on end - "Riddikulus!" shouted Seamus.

The banshee made a rasping noise and clutched her throat; her voice was gone.

Crack! 

The banshee turned into a rat, which chased its tail in a circle, then - crack!- became a rattlesnake, which slithered and writhed before - crack! - becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

"It's confused!" shouted Lupin. "We're getting there! Dean!"

He hurried forward.

Crack! The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

"Riddikulus!" He yelled.

There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

"Excellent! Ron, you next!"

 Ron leapt forward. 

 Crack! 

 Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Harry thought Ron had frozen. Then — “Riddikulus!” bellowed Ron, and the spider’s legs vanished; it rolled over and over; Lavender Brown squealed and ran out of its way.

Harry stepped forward and the boggart took a while to take shape but then it assumed the form of a Dementor. But before it could even come within 3 feet of Harry, Lupin stepped in front of him and shouted "Here!"

The Dementor instantly changed to an apparition of clouds covering a white orb.

"RIDDIKULUS!"

Crack!

The orb became a deflating balloon that zoomed around the class before plunging into the wardrobe that shut itself tight instantly after.

"Excellent!" cried Professor Lupin as the class broke into applause. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. We'll all get another chance next time. Homework, kindly read the chapter on Boggarts and summarize it for me...to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

Talking excitedly, the class left the staffroom. Tess, however, stayed behind wanting to talk to Lupin.

"Hey Professor." She said.

"I see you have taken quite an interest in this lesson." said Lupin. "Is everything alright with Johnathan?  Being in a new school in a new country, it must be stressful for your cousin. I know how that must have been for you."

"It took some adjusting but I managed to make quite a pack here." said Tess.

Lupin laughed softly at Tess' choice of words. "So it would seem. It looks like I did a good job of, what is the phrase? Getting through to you."

"Speaking of which." said Tess. "I never really got the chance to say, thanks." She threw her arms around Lupin who at first was shocked, but then returned the gesture.

"Tess?" Johnnie knocked at the door, holding his skateboard."Come on, we're gonna be late. Hey, Professor."

"I can see some American methods of fun just can't seem to die out here in Hogwarts." said Remus as he collected some parchment. 

"It's a thing." said Tess. "You wouldn't understand."

Lupin rolled his eyes before looking at Tess with contempt. "I never got a chance to say this, but I knew your mother. Morgan loved you very much. I know it's late but I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks you Professor." Tess took one last look before running out the door with Johnnie. Remus cast a glance upon the ajar door and whispered to himself, "Morgan, your daughter is just as wild when she was a baby."

On their way to the Black Lake for a skateboarding adventure, Tess asked Johnnie in one corridor, "So, you seemed to know Lupin. What's the deal with that?"

"TBH, Tess  I still have no clue." said Johnnie. "Well technically I have somewhat a clue, but it's kind of vague."

"Que pasa?" Tess asked.

"According to Lupin, he knew my parents, babysat me when I was three and that's the end of it." said Johnnie. "I know, not a lot to go on."

"But you still want to know about him, right?" Tess asked rhetorically.

"Yeah." Johnnie clutched his black skateboard with red stripes on it. (Tess' was also black with purple accents on it). "There's something off about that guy."


	17. Around the School

In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favorite class. Only Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin.

"Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say in a loud whisper as Professor Lupin passed. "He dresses like our old house elf."

But no one else cared that Professor Lupin's robes were patched and frayed. His next few lessons were just as interesting as the first. After Boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblin-like creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed: in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to Kappas, creepy. water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

Harry only wished he was as happy with some of his other classes. Worst of all was Potions. Snape was in a particularly vindictive mood these days, and no one was in any doubt why. The story of the Boggart assuming Snape's shape, and the way that Neville had dressed it in his grandmother's clothes, had traveled through the school like wildfire. Snape didn't seem to find it funny. His eyes flashed menacingly at the very mention of Professor Lupin's name, and he was bullying Neville worse than ever.

Harry was also growing to dread the hours he spent in Professor Trelawney's stifling tower room, deciphering lopsided shapes and symbols, trying to ignore the way Professor Trelawney's enormous eyes filled with tears every time she looked at him. Tess was almost in the same position as Harry except Trelawney had always looked at her as if she was studying a specimen of DNA. Tess found it creepy after a while so she asked she asked to be moved to a seat in the back but Trelawney freaked out saying that if she did, all would be lost. Neither Harry or Tess couldn't like Professor Trelawney, even though she was treated with respect bordering on reverence by many of the class. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown had taken to haunting Professor Trelawney's tower room at lunch times, and always returned with annoyingly superior looks on their faces, as though they knew things the others didn't. They had also started using hushed voices whenever they spoke to Harry, as though he were on his deathbed.

Nobody really liked Care of Magical Creatures, which, after the action-packed first class, had become extremely dull. Hagrid seemed to have lost his confidence. They were now spending lesson after lesson learning how to look after flobberworms, which had to be some of the most boring creatures in existence.

"Why would anyone bother looking after them?" said Ron, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the flobberworms' throats.

At the start of October, however, Harry had something else to occupy him, something so enjoyable it more than made up for his unsatisfactory classes. The Quidditch season was approaching, and Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor team, called a meeting on Thursday evening to discuss tactics for the new season.

There were seven people on a Quidditch team: three Chasers, whose job it was to score goals by putting the Quaffle (a red, soccer-sized ball) through one of the fifty-foot-high hoops at each end of the field; two Beaters, who were equipped with heavy bats to repel the Bludgers (two heavy black balls that zoomed around trying to attack the players); a Keeper, who defended the goal posts, and the Seeker, who had the hardest job of all, that of catching the Golden Snitch, a tiny, winged, walnut-sized ball, whose capture ended the game and earned the Seeker's team an extra one hundred and fifty points.

Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly locker rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch field.

"This is our last chance - my last chance - to win the Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it. Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world - injuries - then the tournament getting called off last year." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the best - ruddy - team - in - the - school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three superb Chasers."

Wood pointed at Tess Crosswell, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George Weasley together, pretending to blush.

"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.

"Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.

"Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.

"Let's kick some ass!" Tess said.

"Definitely," said Harry.

Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish Harry's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge, silver Quidditch Cup.

Tess did mind the rain and mud but she brushed it off. Her motto when it came to sports, "If you're not suffering from severe cramps, you don't want it enough!"

Harry returned with Tess to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.

"What's happened?", he asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," said Fred, who had followed Harry through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

Harry threw himself into a chair beside Ron, his high spirits ebbing away. Hermione seemed to read his mind.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages -"

"Ron!" said Hermione. "Harry's supposed to stay in school -"

"Or…" Tess face broke into a devil dog smile. "I could sneak Harry in, he'll have a good time, and we'll sneak him back out. Easy peasy."

"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "Not with Sirius Black on the loose and the fact that he hasn't got his permission form signed! Have you lost your mind?"

Tess shrugged. "Probably."

"He can't be the only third year left behind," said Ron. "Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry -"

"Yeah, I think I will," said Harry, making up his mind.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling.

"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" said Hermione. "Where's Johnnie with his dog? What was his name again?"

"He taking Padfoot for a walk." said Tess. "He might be able to bring him into Hogsmeade."

Crookshanks; slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron.

"Just keep that cat over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."

Harry yawned. He really wanted to go to bed, but he still had his own star chart to complete. He pulled his bag toward him, took out parchment, ink, and quill, and started work.

"You can copy mine, if you like," said Ron, labeling his last star with a flourish and shoving the chart toward Harry.

Hermione, who disapproved of copying, pursed her lips but didn't say anything. Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.

"OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"

Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.

"Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching; Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top -

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.

George Weasley made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Tess tried to grab the cat but he was fast for a large cat. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.

Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.

"Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think -"

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!"

Ron marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

"Oi, he really needs to chill." said Tess with Harry nodding in agreement.

Ron was still in a bad mood with Hermione next day. He barely talked to her all through Herbology, even though he, Harry, and Hermione were working together on the same Puffapod.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," said Ron angrily, missing the pail and scattering beans over the greenhouse floor.

"Careful, Weasley, careful!" cried Professor Sprout as the beans burst into bloom before their very eyes.

They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case. He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line.

Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" said Hermione anxiously as she, Tess, Harry, and Ron went to join the group.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender."

"I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?"

"The 16th?" Tess asked confused.

"Exactly! The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, "You - you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"

"Well, not necessarily by a fox," said Tess. "but she was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't she? So either way, Trelawney was right."

Hermione scoffed. "Says the girl whose future apparently can't be read."

Everyone turned to Tess in surprise. "You're Fogged?"

"That's not important." said Tess as Hermione turned to Lavendar. "Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N - no!" sobbed Lavender. "H - he was only a baby!"

Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders and Tess gave Lavender a big hug. "I'm really sorry Lavendar. Is there anything any of us can do?"

"I just want Binky back!" Lavender sobbed.

"But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione.

Parvati and Tess glared at her. "Not. Helping."

"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today -" Lavender wailed loudly. "¨ And she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock -"

"Uh Hermione." said Tess. "I appreciate your "support" but can't you see Lavender's pet  just died? The girl's upset."

"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," said Ron loudly, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."

Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door at that moment, which was perhaps lucky; Hermione and Ron were looking daggers at each other, and when they got into class, they seated themselves on either side of Harry and didn't talk to each other for the whole class.

Harry still hadn't decided what he was going to say to Professor McGonagall when the bell rang at the end of the lesson, but it was she who brought up the subject of Hogsmeade first.

"One moment, please!" she called as the class made to leave. "As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

Neville put up his hand.

"Please, Professor, I - I think I've lost -"

"Your grandmother sent yours to me directly, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave."

"Ask her now," Ron hissed at Harry.

"Oh. but -" Hermione began.

"Go for it, Harry," said Tess stubbornly. "What do you have to lose?"

Harry glared at her while she shrugged.

Harry waited for the rest of the class to disappear, then headed nervously for Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Yes, Potter?" Harry took a deep breath.

"Professor, my aunt and uncle - er - forgot to sign my form," he said.

Professor McGonagall looked over her square spectacles at him but didn't say anything.

"So - er - d'you think it would be all right mean, will It be okay if I - if I go to Hogsmeade?"

Professor McGonagall looked down and began shuffling papers on her desk.

"I'm afraid not, Potter," she said. "You heard what I said. No form, no visiting the village. That's the rule."

"But - Professor, my aunt and uncle - you know, they're Muggles, they don't really understand about - about Hogwarts forms and stuff," Harry said, while Ron egged him on with vigorous nods. "If you said I could go -"

"But I don't say so," said Professor McGonagall, standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer. "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission." She turned to look at him, with an odd expression on her face. Was it pity? "I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word. You had better hurry, or you'll be late for your next lesson."

"Oh and Crosswell?" McGonagall called out to the blonde American who was an inch close from leaving. "Professor Lupin wishes to see you."


	18. Time for Tea with Uncle Remy

With haste in her every step, Tess made her way to Professor Lupin's office, wondering what she had done wrong this time. But she brushed it off because she was Tess Crosswell, surely she wasn't invited for a cup of tea. Sure, she knew that breaking the rules was wrong but it was so much fun every time.

But before she even knocked on the office door, she heard Lupin's voice call out, "Come in Quintessa."

She froze. Even with the door being made of wood, there was no way he could have known it was specifically her. 

 _He's got good ears then._ She thought to herself as she opened the door.

"How the hell did you know it was me?"

She found Lupin sorting papers, cracking a smile. "I have keen hearing Quintessa and not to mention years of practice, dealing with Morgan's devious ways. Your father too." Tess could have sworn she heard that last part under his breath.

"I know this is completely rhetorical but what did I do this time and how much time in detention do I have to serve?" Tess asked.

Lupin smiled at her. "You worry too much. You're not in trouble at all. Though considering your record, I'd say you  **are**  trouble." Tess glowed with pride. "I just wanted to have a little chat. Please have a seat. I've got some tea, biscuits, unfortunately no pizza. But I do have chocolate."

Putting aside her leather jacket, she sat down and grabbed a piece of chocolate. She completely ignored a few crumbs slithering down her red and gold tie. Ever since first year, she had strongly disliked the Hogwarts uniform, complaining that she was wearing conformity. So she made herself comfortable, by getting rid of the vest, skirt, tights and flats and put on with the shirt, and tie, jeans, sneakers and/or combat boots. Whenever it was cold, she'd put on a leather jacket. But never robes. She always hated the robes and was tempted every single day burn a set.

"How are you?" Lupin asked breaking the icy silence.

"Good I guess." She said. "I mean, my classes are pretty cool, Ancient Runes is awesome but Arithmancy has it's capital A for annoying."

"I thought Arithmancy was interesting ." said Lupin taking a sip of his tea. "But that was just me."I was like Hermione, in my day. Always studying. Morgan often joked that I was a high profiled nerd."

"How did you meet my mom anyway?" Tess asked. "She never talked about her life in Hogwarts."

Lupin made a noise of understanding and grief. ""I'm afraid your mother's outlook on Hogwarts had become a reminder of what she had lost. But she was much like you. Wild, indifferent to the rules, but she was as proud and stubborn as a Hippogriff.  She had a reputation of using spray paint as a signature to her pranks. I was about your age when I met her. I remember the first thing she said to my friend was that he smelt like a wet dog."

"That doesn't surprise me." said Tess. "Mom was always straight to the point with me. 

"Well yeah, I mean during the war a lot of people died." said Tess. "The Bones, Prewetts, Uncle Mike..."

"A lot of innocent people, young and old, perished at the hands of Lord Voldemort and his forces." Lupin said sadly. "Not a day goes by that I don't know how many families were torn apart."

Tess looked at her biscuit, suddenly not feeling very hungry.  _So many people dead at the hands of a monster._  Tess thought to herself.  _Even Harry's parents and he's never known them. Why couldn't Voldemort just leave them alone?_

"Professor?" Tess asked. "What happened to my mom? Why did she stop fighting in the war?"

Lupin took a staggering breath. "Honestly, I've never known. It's been one of many mysteries to me. One day she was laying out some floor plans to sneak into Malfoy Manor. And then one week later, she leaves without saying goodbye. I've known Morgan for years, so something must have forced her to leave. Whatever it was, her top concern from the moment she became pregnant, was her child."

"Yeah." Tess cast her violet eyes downward, to avoid Lupin seeing the slightest glisten forming at the whites of her eyes. She quickly swallowed a breath and looked at her Professor again.

"Is that why you brought me up here?" She asked. "To tell stories on my mom?"

"No." He said, getting up and cupping her cheek. "When I saw you down the halls, I swore I saw Morgan. Same as I saw Harry as James for one day. I thought to myself, those two must be at it again. I don't want to make you or Harry feel uncomfortable, but my door is always open for you two as I have yet to have a similar conversation with Harry."

Tess smiled. "You really did know our parents did you?" 

Lupin nodded. "We were as close as a pack." He glanced upward at the clock and frowned. "Oh, I hate how time passes by so quickly. Tess, this was a really eventful chat we had but I'm afraid it's almost dinner and I'm sure your friends will be worried where you are." 

Grabbing her leather jacket, Tess hoisted her backpack up on her shoulder and almost reached the door when she turned around and looked at Professor Lupin. She paused to look at him before running to him and embracing him in a hug.

"Thanks for telling me about my mom." She whispered. "You have no idea how much it means to me."

Lupin responded by hugging her with one arm. "Of course. Like I said, my door is always open." 


	19. The Fat Lady Doesn't Sing

By the time Halloween came near, there was nothing to be done. Ron called Professor McGonagall a lot of names that greatly annoyed Hermione and amused Tess; Hermione assumed an 'all-for-the-best' expression that made Ron even angrier, and Harry had to endure everyone in the class talking loudly and happily about what they were going to do first, once they got into Hogsmeade. Tess wanted to do something for Harry but Hermione stopped her and threatened her with a Bat Boogey Hex that would last until Christmas.

"There's always the feast," said Ron, in an effort to cheer Harry up. "You know, the Halloween feast, in the evening."

"Yeah," said Harry gloomily, "great." 

The Halloween feast was always good, but it would taste a lot better if he was coming to it after a day in Hogsmeade with everyone else. Nothing anyone said made him feel any better about being left behind. Dean Thomas, who was quite good with a quill, had offered to forge Uncle Vernon's signature on the form, but as Harry had already told Professor McGonagall he hadn't had it signed, that was no good. Ron halfheartedly suggested the Invisibility Cloak, but Hermione stamped on that one, reminding Ron what Dumbledore had told them about the Dementors being able to see through them. Tess had offered to have Harry smuggled in Hogsmeade with her, using her street smarts of course. She still had a contact from a friend who moved to Singapore who was good at disguising people but Hermione stamped on it. Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.

"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack's always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

On Halloween morning, Harry awoke with the rest and went down to breakfast, feeling thoroughly depressed, though doing his best to act normally.

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," said Hermione, looking desperately sorry for him.

"Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Harry's difficulties.

"Don't worry about me," said Harry, in what he hoped was at, offhand voice, "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

"If you're not coming, I'm staying." said Tess.

"No." said Harry. "Go with your cousin, take a walk with Padfoot."

"Tess!" Johnnie shouted with Padfoot at his side.  "I'll meet you at Honeydukes!" He went with the rest of the 7th years. Although the large black dog was on a leash and was well behaved, it didn't sway people from fearing the dog because of the Grim rumor. Johnnie kept him in the dorms and took him on walks whenever he could. Of course whenever he was around the Quartet and a few first years, Padfoot was as energetic as lightning, he always wanted to play. 

"Keep the Grim away from Harry!" Lavender squealed when she saw Padfoot.

"Chillax, he's just Padfoot!" Johnnie reined in the dog that was starting to bark a little wildly.

 Harry accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"

Harry ignored him and made his solitary way up the marble staircase, through the deserted corridors, and back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Password?" said the Fat Lady, jerking out of a doze.

"Fortuna Major," said Harry listlessly.

The portrait swung open and he climbed through the hole into the common room. It was full of chattering first-and second-years, and a few older students, who had obviously visited Hogsmeade so often the novelty had worn off.

"Harry! Harry! Hi, Harry!"

It was Colin Creevey, a second year who was deeply in awe of Harry and never missed an opportunity to speak to him.

"Aren't you going to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why not? Hey -" Colin looked eagerly around at his friends - "you can come and sit with us, if you like, Harry!"

"Er - no, thanks, Colin," said Harry, who wasn't in the mood to have a lot of people staring avidly at the scar on his forehead. "I - I've got to go to the library, got to get some work done."

After that, he had no choice but to turn right around and head back out of the portrait hole again.

"What was the point of waking me up?" the Fat Lady called grumpily after him as he walked away.

Harry wandered dispiritedly toward the library, but halfway there he changed his mind; he didn't feel like working. He turned around and came face-to-face with Filch, who had obviously just seen off the last of the Hogsmeade visitors.

"What are you doing?" Filch snarled suspiciously.

"Nothing," said Harry truthfully.

"Nothing!" spat Filch, his jowls quivering unpleasantly. "A likely story! Sneaking around on your own - why aren't you in Hogsmeade buying Stink Pellets and Belch Powder and Whizzing Worms like the rest of your nasty little friends?"

Harry shrugged.

"Well, get back to your common room where you belong!" snapped Filch, and he stood glaring until Harry had passed out of sight.

But Harry didn't go back to the common room; he climbed a staircase, thinking vaguely of visiting the Owlery to see Hedwig, and was walking along another corridor when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, "Harry?"

Harry doubled back to see who had spoken and met Professor Lupin, looking around his office door.

"What are you doing?" said Lupin, though in a very different voice from Filch. "Where are Ron, Tess, Johnathan, and Hermione?"

"Hogsmeade," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice.

"Ah," said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson."

"A what?" said Harry.

He followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

"Water demon," said Lupin, surveying the Grindylow thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."

The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner.

"Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."

"All right," said Harry awkwardly.

Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout.

"Sit down," said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid - but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?"

Harry looked at him. Lupin's eyes were twinkling.

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked.

"Professor McGonagall told me," said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea. "You're not worried, are you?"

"No," said Harry.

He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about the dog he'd seen in Magnolia Crescent but decided not to. But every time he saw Padfoot, he never ignored the feeling of familiarity. Trouble was, whenever he saw the dog, it wasn't like the one he saw when he left Privet Drive. Padfoot was well taken care of, fed, washed and looked like he had been living with his owner for years. He didn't want Lupin to think he was a coward, especially since Lupin already seemed to think he couldn't cope with a Boggart.

Something of Harry's thoughts seemed to have shown on his face, because Lupin said, "Something worrying you, Harry?"

"No," Harry lied. He drank a bit of tea and watched the Grindylow brandishing a fist at him. "Yes," he said suddenly, putting his tea down on Lupin's desk. "You know that day we fought the Boggart?"

"Yes," said Lupin slowly.

"Why didn't you let me fight it?" said Harry abruptly.

Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised.

Harry, who had expected Lupin to deny that he'd done any such thing, was taken aback.

"Why?" he said again.

"Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."

Harry stared. Not only was this the last answer he'd expected, but Lupin had said Voldemort's name. The only person Harry had ever heard say the name aloud (apart from himself) was Professor Dumbledore.

"Clearly, I was wrong," said Lupin, still frowning at Harry. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."

"I did think of Voldemort at first," said Harry honestly. "But then I remembered that night on the train. I - I remembered those Dementors."

"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well...I'm impressed." He smiled slightly at the look of surprise on Harry's face. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Harry."

Harry didn't know what to say to that, so he drank some more tea.

"So you've been thinking that I didn't believe you capable of fighting the Boggart?" said Lupin shrewdly.

"Well...yeah," said Harry. He was suddenly feeling a lot happier. "Professor Lupin, when the Dementor came at me, I heard something. A woman, she was screaming. Tess said she felt heat and heard a loud explosion."

"Oh, Dementors force us to relive our worst memories." Lupin said sadly. "Our pain becomes their power."

A heavy pause blanketed the room until Harry spoke in a small voice. "I think...that it was my mother. The night she was murdered."

Lupin nodded, looking at Harry with a mournful expression on his face. "You know the very first time I saw you, I recognized who you were. Not by your scar, by your eyes. They're your mother, Lily's. Oh, yes. I knew her. Your mother was there for me at a time when most people weren't. Not only was she a singularly gifted witch, she was also an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others when they could not see it themselves. Your father, James on the other hand, he had, some would say a talent for trouble." Harry smiled at that. "A talent, rumor has it, he passed onto y-"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," called Lupin.

The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing. 

"Ah, Severus," said Lupin, smiling. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin.

"I was just showing Harry my Grindylow," said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank.

"Fascinating," said Snape, without looking at it. "You should drink that directly, Lupin."

"Yes, Yes, I will," said Lupin.

"I made an entire cauldronful," Snape continued. "If you need more."

"I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."

"Not at all," said Snape, but there was a look in his eye Harry didn't like. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful.

Harry looked curiously at the goblet. Lupin smiled.

"Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering.

"Why -?" Harry began. Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question.

"I've been feeling a bit off-color," he said. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

Professor Lupin took another sip and Harry had a crazy urge to knock the goblet out of his hands.

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," he blurted out.

"Really?" said Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took another gulp of potion.

"Some people reckon -" Harry hesitated, then plunged recklessly on, "some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.

"Disgusting," he said. "Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. See you at the feast later."

"Right," said Harry, putting down his empty teacup.

The empty goblet was still smoking.

When it was time for dinner, the Hogsmeade trip was over.

"There you go," said Ron. "We got as much as we could carry."

A shower of brilliantly colored sweets fell into Harry's lap. It was dusk, and Ron, The Crosswells, and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.

"Thanks," said Harry, picking up a packet of tiny black Pepper Imps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

By the sound of it - everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and many places besides.

"The post office, Harry!" Johnnie said in amazement. "About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look -" Tess nudged the delicious looking fudge in Harry's hand.

"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks -" Hermione said.

"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up -" Ron said dreaming in the distance.

"What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?"

"No," said Harry. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in..."

He told them all about the goblet. Ron's mouth fell open.

"Lupin drank it?" he gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Well if it's Lupin taking advice from a fellow staff member, I'd say he'd know what he's doing." said Johnnie.

"But it's Snape." Ron argued.

Hermione checked her watch.

"We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes." They hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.

"But if he - you know -" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to - to poison Lupin - he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry."

"Yeah, maybe," said Harry as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.

The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything. Harry kept glancing at the staff table. Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher. Harry moved his eyes along the table, to the place where Snape sat. Was he imagining it, or were Snape's eyes flickering toward Lupin more often than was natural?

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.

It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Malfoy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, "The Dementors send their love, Potter!"

Harry, Ron, Tess and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower.

"Honeydukes Sweetshop is killer." said Tess. "But nothing beats Zonko's. We never did get a chance to go to the Shrieking Shack. You might have caught word that it's-"

"The most haunted building in Britain, yeah I know." Harry cut her off.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" said Ron.

"Probably Neville forgot the password again." said Tess.

"Hey!" Neville said.

"Oh sorry dude." She said quickly.

Harry peered over the heads in front of him. The portrait seemed to be closed.

"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the commotion here? You can't all have forgotten the password - excuse me, I'm Head Boy -"

And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.

"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.

A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.

"Oh, my -" Hermione grabbed Harry's arm.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.

"Heard there was some commotio-holy shit!" Johnnie exclaimed.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing." he added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."


	20. How Did He Do It?

Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags and hundreds of fluffy white pillows.

"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"C'mon," Ron said to Johnnie, Tess, Harry and Hermione; they seized three sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

Tess snorted. " **Still** in the castle? I think the real question is how he got  **in**  the castle."

"Maybe he Apparated?" Eon asked.

"Not a chance." said Hermione.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "What's Apparating?"

"One." Johnnie pulled up a sleeping bag with the group. "Apparating is basically teleportation. Two, this entire campus is covered layer upon layer with security enhancements. Not to mention Dementors"

"Well they're doing a pretty nice job." said Harry sarcastically. "However he slipped past all of those measures, I have no idea."

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he still might be in the castle." said Ron.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower..."

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."

Hermione shuddered.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.

"And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered..."

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Harry felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Harry watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from Johnnie, Tess, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all who pretended to be asleep as soon as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir."

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."

Harry heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.

"Headmaster?" It was Snape. Harry kept quite still, listening hard. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched..."

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

Harry raised his head very slightly off his arms to free his other ear.

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."

Harry opened his eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to him, but he could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before - ah - the start of term?" said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

"It seems - almost impossible - that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed -"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.

"What about Potter?" Snape asked. "Should he be warned?"

"For now let him sleep.I must go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster."

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.

Harry glanced sideways at Johnnie, Tess, Ron and Hermione. Both of them had their eyes open too, reflecting the starry ceiling.

"What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.

Tess shrugged while Johnnie finally drifted off to sleep into the realm of his own imagination. The realm of dreams was one entirely of one's own, whether it was  in swimming in the deepest ocean, gliding over the highest cloud, or reliving a small piece of your life. 

It wasn't a surprise Johnnie remembered little of Professor Lupin. But in fairness, he was so little when he had stumbled upon his secret.


	21. Under a Full Moon

_Nighttime had fallen upon the wide and open spaces in the State of Montana in February of 1980. One werewolf had already gone through another painful transformation as the moon showed itself. Fortunately, the werewolf was locked behind a large fence and had taken the Wolfsbane Potion. The wizard within the wolf's body insisted his friends lock him up, despite retaining his human mind that night._

_Remus Lupin was visiting his friends, who at the time lived in Montana because some of the Wizarding War in Britain was starting to spread past it's borders and slip into the Eastern territories of the United States of America. At the time, Morgan was helping out with dealing with the spreading war, so Lupin evacuated the Crosswells, making sure they were safe in the countryside. Just to be sure that they were safe, he even stayed with them for a few weeks which coincided with the full moon and it was too dangerous for him to be in civilization with the rising paranoia of the war taking root in America._

_So when he asked Michael and Sara Crosswell to make sure that their three year old son, Johnnie Crosswell to stay in the house at all times, they agreed, knowing that the Wolfsbane Potion was effective and he would need help during the full moon. At least they knew where everyone would be during those nightly hours. But of course, one cannot contain a child's wonder of the world._

_Little Johnnie was in his room in the one story cottage playing with his action figures. His mopy hair brushed his cheeks and his brown eyes were creating fantasy for the entertainment of playtime. But suddenly, he saw a firefly dancing in his room. Being the curious little boy he was, he tried to reach for the firefly so he could make a friend. But the firefly was too fast for him and went out into the crack near the closed windows. He tried to open the windows but they were magically shut. Of course, being his mother's son, he never gave up. he snuck downstairs past Sara who was fixing dinner (his father was fixing a part of the roof that had gotten blasted off in an accident), and ran outside and found another firefly flying around. Little Johnnie ran for it and ran and ran until he heard a small whine that sounded almost canine. He turned around and peered in closer inside a large circular fence and saw a large wolf-like creature. The wolf didn't want to hurt the little boy but it crept up closer to him and moved his head in the direction of the cottage, in an attempt to tell the little boy to run back. Wolf-Remus braced itself for the child to run in fear when he realized what he was._

_But he didn't move a muscle. Not out of shock but he was curious. "Mommy and Daddy said there would be a wolf out here. But you're not that scary."_

_Remus felt torn inside. He also felt the need to explain that he was not a very nice wolf and could possibly hurt him, even from inside a cage. Maybe it was because of the Wolfsbane Potion but Johnnie didn't seem to fear him at all._

_Are you lost, Wolfie?" He asked. "Where's your pack? Are you lonely?"_

_He wanted to explain to this child that he did not have a pack like some other werewolves he had heard about. Although he would have been lying to himself if he didn't feel warmth pour inside him from the child's genuine concern._

" _I'm sorry, Wolfie." Johnnie sat down. "If you want, I can be your new pack. We could be friends."_

 _Remus gave a snort, which could have been confused for a laugh. He hadn't felt this way since the Marauders, when he could be himself around somebody who didn't care what he was. The only problem was, Johnnie had no idea of_ who  _he was. It apparently didn't matter, because Remus felt happy that a child showed compassion for a dangerous beast such as him._

_But he needed to get him to his parents._

_"JOHNATHAN!" A voice thundered across the field. Even Remus' enhanced hearing could hear that. So he stepped back and let loose a howl, the sound reverberating across the plains like a tsunami. He repeated his call a few more times before Micheal Crosswell scooped up his son in his arms._

_"Johnnie!" Sara exclaimed, standing right next to her husband. Michael was a handsome wizard, with a slim build from Quidditch games at school. He had peach skin, dark hair just like Johnnie's and blue eyes. Sometimes Michael would put on the famous Crosswell devious smile. But tonight, he was not a happy camper._

_"Johnathan Spencer Crosswell!" He almost yelled. "What were you thinking son? You could have lost your way! But I'm so glad you're safe!" He hugged him tightly and noticed Lupin staring at him. "You didn't...bite him did you?"_

_"Michael, it's ok." Sara stroked her husband's hair. "I mean, both Johnnie and Lupin are ok. That's all that matters"_

_"Wolfie's not that scary" said Little Johnnie pointing to Lupin. "He's a nice Wolfie, just lonely. Can I be friends with him?"_

_"Oh." Michael's features softened a bit. "Well Johnnie, Wolfie is just staying here for now before we release him back into the wild. But don't worry, I'm sure his friends will be happy to see him."_

" _Let me take Johnnie back, it's almost near his bedtime anyway." said Sara. "You stay with Lupin." She turned her attention back to her son. "Say bye bye to Wolfie."_

_"Bye Bye Wolfie!" The young boy eagerly parroted._

_Lupin let out as what could only be described as a wolf snort of a chuckle. Even he had to admit, that Little Johnnie was one bright young man who seemed to be able to find the joy at a stressful time for him and relieve some of the pressure. He would have to leave in a few days but Lupin hoped it wouldn't be the last time he saw the boy._

_It certainly was not, because many years later, Remus Lupin would defend the Crosswell boy, his cousin and their friends from a Dementor on the Hogwarts Express._


	22. Lupin's "Illness"

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.

"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job," said Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."

"And the only one brave enough happens to be a medieval nutcase." Tess drawled sarcastically one day when she was talking about him to her cousin.

Sir Cadogan, however, was the least of Harry's worries. He was now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with him, and Percy Weasley (acting, Harry suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing him everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog. The strange thing was, whenever Tess was near him, they doubled the security. But most of the time Tess alone was being watched, but less than Harry, and it was by either Snape, McGonagall, or Lupin. To cap it all, Professor McGonagall summoned Harry into her office, with such a somber expression on her face Harry thought someone must have died.

"There's no point hiding it from you any longer, Potter and I should tell you since Crosswell is busy." she said in a very serious voice. "I know this will come as a shock to you, but Sirius Black -"

"I know he's after me," said Harry wearily. "I heard Ron's dad telling his mum. Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic."

Professor McGonagall seemed very taken aback. She stared at Harry for a moment or two, then said, "I see! Well, in that case, Potter, you'll understand why I don't think it's a good idea for you to be practicing Quidditch in the evenings. Out on the field with only your team members, it's very exposed, Potter -"

"We've got our first match on Saturday!" said Harry, outraged. "I've got to train, Professor!"

Professor McGonagall considered him intently. Harry knew she was deeply interested in the Gryffindor team's prospects; it had been she, after all, who'd suggested him as Seeker in the first Place. He waited, holding his breath.

"Hmm..."Professor McGonagall stood up and stared out of the window at the Quidditch field, just visible through the rain. "Well...goodness knows, I'd like to see us win the Cup at last...but all the same, Potter...I'd be happier if a teacher were present. I'll ask Madam Hooch to oversee your training sessions. And whatever you do, make sure Crosswell is not talking with anyone she does not know. Keep her close."

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team was training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" said Harry furiously. "He's faking it!"

"Well either that or Malfoy's a big wuss!" Tess said.

"I know that, but we can't prove it," said Wood bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory -"

Angelina and Katie suddenly giggled.

"What?" said Wood, frowning at this lighthearted behavior.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.

"Strong and silent," said Katie, and they started to giggle again.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

The day before the match, the winds reached howling point and the rain fell harder than ever. It was so dark inside the corridors and classrooms that extra torches and lanterns were lit. The Slytherin team was looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.

"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows.

"If only you had a spine to support that arm." Johnnie said walking past him.

In the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, Lupin didn't show up so everyone assumed that he was running late. That was until one Severus Snape showed up, closed the windows and said, "Turn to page 394."

Everyone got out their books immediately. Snape walked down the aisle, watching every move.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" Harry said.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," said Snape with a twisted smile. "Turn to page 394." With a tap of his wand, he turned on the projector and waving his wand, causing Ron's pages to flip all the way to-

"Werewolves?" Ron asked.

"But, sir, we've just begun learning about done Red Caps and Hinkypunks." said Hermione quickly, "We're not meant to start nocturnal beasts for weeks."

"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape looked more menacing than ever.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.

Everyone sat in motionless silence; everyone except Hermione, whose hand, as it so often did, had shot straight into the air.

"Anyone?" Snape said, ignoring Hermione. His twisted smile was back. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between -"

"We told you," said Parvati suddenly, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on -"

"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are..."

"Please, sir," said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf -"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Hermione went very red, put down her hand, and stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. It was a mark of how much the class loathed Snape that they were all glaring at him, because every one of them had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, and Ron, who told Hermione she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

The class knew instantly he'd gone too far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly, and the room held its breath.

"Detention, Weasley," Snape said silkily, his face very close to Ron's. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed. Now getting back to the lesson, which one of you can tell me the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf?" No one raised their hand. "No one-Granger! I thought I told you to put your hand down."

"Actually, it's me." An American voice sounded out. It was Tess.

"Crosswell." Snape said icily. "Go ahead."

"An Animagus is someone who  **wants** to turn into an animal. And whatever form they take reflects the wizard himself. A werewolf's got no choice and is stuck with being a wolf."

There was an cold, dead silence that seemed to linger for a while, until Snape said, "Take 2 points Gryffindor."

The whole class looked at her in surprise. Even Hermione looked stumped. Snape had never given so much as a point to anyone but Slytherin.

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.

"Nice choice of words." Snape hissed in her ear. "I believe your mother was a Phoenix back in the day, am I correct?" Tess looked at him like she had just seen death. She never told anyone, even her friends, that her mother was an unregistered Animagus. "I know more about your parents than you think I do, stupid girl."

When the bell rang at last, Snape held them back.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject with particular emphasis on recognizing one, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention."

Harry, Hermione, and Tess left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.

"Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job," Harry said to Hermione. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the Boggart?"

"Even without the Boggart," said Tess. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that Lupin and Snape have a history."

"I don't know," said Hermione pensively. "But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon..."

Ron caught up with them five minutes later, in a towering rage.

"D'you know what that bastard-"

"Ron!" Hermione scolded

"-is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!" He was breathing deeply, his fists clenched. "Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

During her spare time, Tess went to work on her essay in the library. She wanted to get it done as soon as she could, before she forgot because of Quidditch. After all that adrenaline from flying on that broomstick, she would  **not** want to do any work of the sort.

All seemed normal, as study time could be imagine, but it wasn't until she reached the second half of her essay that alarm bells sounded in her head.

 _The wolf,_ She wrote.  _Or in Latin, Canis Lupus._

She froze right there at the word, Lupus. She reread her rolls of parchment, as the gears began to turn in her head.

"Wait a minute." She whispered, running to the nearest shelf on astronomy and picking up a book on lunar charts. She flipped to the current month's chart of the moon's phases and flipped through another book she borrowed to check that she had gotten the right symptoms. She had seen someone who had gained almost a pallor only yesterday. Along with the superhuman hearing, and the scars, it seemed to make sense of Lupin's "illness". At first she thought the scars on him were caused by an out of control rabbit, but when she got a close look at them, she realized that they looked like claw marks. She knew from experience after a nasty fight with Tituba one time.

But it was then that she remembered him talking about his "furry little problem" 2 years ago when she first met him.

 _Could it be possible?_ She wondered.

Thinking quickly, she looked at the chart in the other book and as she read through it, she realized that the Lupin took a sick day from work, almost 12 hours before the full moon tonight. She took out a piece of parchment and wrote Lupus and under it, the name Lupin. She circled the first 3 letters of both names, Lup.

Gathering her essentials, she walked out of the library back to the common room. Her mind was still reeling from shock. After all, it wasn't every day one found out their teacher was a werewolf. But even though, Tess wasn't afraid of them, she had never met one before, and didn't think they were so bad.

After all, The United States of America was a melting pot, even for wizardkind. So all all sorts of creatures flickered in and out of the city. In fact, when she lived in her Manhattan apartment, the neighbor next door was a vampire.


	23. Dangers Involving A Sport

Tess woke up very early the next morning; so early that it was still dark. For a moment she thought the roaring of the wind had woken her. Then she felt a cold breeze on the back of her neck and sat bolt upright - Peeves the Poltergeist had been floating next to her, blowing hard in her ear. She tried to punch him but failed, forgetting for a second that he was a ghost.

"What the hell?" said Tess furiously, swatting him away. "You're lucky you're a ghost or else I would have knocked your teeth out!" Peeves puffed out his cheeks, blew hard, and zoomed backward out of the room, cackling.

Tess fumbled for her alarm clock and looked at it. It was half past four. Cursing Peeves, she rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but it was very difficult, now that she was awake, to ignore the sounds of the thunder rumbling overhead, the pounding of the wind against the castle walls, and the distant creaking of the trees in the Forbidden Forest. In a few hours she would be out on the Quidditch field, battling through that gale chasing the Quaffle. Finally, she thought,  _screw it_ to the idea of getting any sleep at all. She got up, got dressed, picked up her broom, and walked quietly out of the dormitory.

As Tess opened the door, something brushed against her leg. She bent down just in time to pick up Crookshanks by the end of his bushy tail and drag him outside.

"There you go, kitty," Tess told Crookshanks. She added, nudging Crookshanks down the spiral staircase with her foot. "And don't even think about attacking Scabbers."

The noise of the storm was even louder in the common room. Tess was used to sleeping around loud noises from the city and thunderstorms. But this one was a raging monster in the sky, howling with never ending sounds that mimicked explosions. Nevertheless, she was starting to feel very apprehensive. So she lay down on the scarlett couch in front of the fireplace, after tending to it so it would create even more heat.

Tess waited through the hours until dawn in front of the fire, getting up every now and then to stop Crookshanks from sneaking up the boys' staircase again. At long last Tess thought it must be time for breakfast, so she headed through the portrait hole alone.

"Stand and fight, you mangy cur!" yelled Sir Cadogan.

"Oh, shut that painted trap of yours," Tess yawned.

She revived a bit over on scrambled eggs, and then after Harry joined her, the rest of the team had turned up.

"It's going to be a tough one," said Wood, who wasn't eating anything.

"Stop worrying, Oliver," said Katie soothingly, "we don't mind a bit of rain."

But it was considerably more than a bit of rain. Such was the popularity of Quidditch that the whole school turned out to watch the match as usual, but they ran down the lawns toward the Quidditch field, heads bowed against the ferocious wind, umbrellas being whipped out of their hands as they went. just before he entered the locker room, Harry saw Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, laughing and pointing at him from under an enormous umbrella on their way to the stadium.

The team changed into their scarlet robes and waited for Wood's usual pre-match pep talk, but it didn't come. He tried to speak several times, made an odd gulping noise, then shook his head hopelessly and beckoned them to follow him.

"Crosswell!" said Malfoy marching up to her.

"Yes?" She asked.

With a smug grin, he answered, "Try not to fall off your broom, will you?" He didn't sound arrogant at all. His tone was full of pride for Slytherin of course but what Tess couldn't hear over the intense wind, was a subliminal layer of genuine concern.

"Thanks." Tess tightened her grip on her broomstick.

"HEY MALFOY!" Harry said storming towards them. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just leaving." said Malfoy. "Best of luck losing Potter."

The wind was so strong that they staggered sideways as they walked out onto the field. If the crowd was cheering, they couldn't hear it over the fresh rolls of thunder. Rain was splattering over Harry's glasses. How on earth was he going to see the Snitch in this?

The Hufflepuffs were approaching from the opposite side of the field, wearing canary-yellow robes. The Captains walked up to each other and shook hands; Diggory smiled at Wood but Wood now looked as though he had lockjaw and merely nodded. Harry saw Madam Hooch's mouth form the words, "Mount Your brooms." He pulled his right foot out of the mud with a squelch and swung it over his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch put her whistle to her lips and gave it a blast that sounded shrill and distant - they were off.

Harry rose fast, but his Nimbus was swerving slightly with the wind. He held it as steady as he could and turned, squinting into the rain.

Within five minutes Harry was soaked to his skin and frozen, hardly able to see his teammates, let alone the tiny Snitch. He flew backward and forward across the field past blurred red and yellow shapes, with no idea of what was happening in the rest of the game. He couldn't hear the commentary over the wind. The crowd was hidden beneath a sea of cloaks and battered umbrellas. Twice Harry came very close to being unseated by a Bludger; his vision was so clouded by the rain on his glasses he hadn't seen them coming.

Tess was soaked to the bone and zoomed on her broom passing the Quaffle. Despite her robes, there wasn't much to help the intense cold that had settled in her skin. It felt like she was being encased in ice. More than anything she wanted to get off this field, but she knew she had to tough it out and win for Gryffindor.

They both lost track of time. It was getting harder and harder to hold their brooms straight. The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. The tight bun holding Tess' hair had come undone and her entire hair had been blown over her head, occasionally covering her face. More than a few times, Tess nearly hit another player, without knowing whether it was a teammate or opponent; everyone was now so wet, the rain so thick, and her hair constantly dangling in front of her eyes; she could hardly tell them apart...

With the first flash of lightning came the sound of Madam Hooch's whistle; Harry could just see the outline of Wood through the thick rain, gesturing him to the ground. The whole team splashed down into the mud.

"I called for time-out!" Wood roared at his team. "Come on, under here -"

They huddled at the edge of the field under a large umbrella; Harry took off his glasses and wiped them hurriedly on his robes.

"What's the score?" Tess asked wiping her blond hair back.

"We're fifty points up," said Wood, "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

"This is why you should have taken up contacts like I suggested." said Tess.

"I am never putting anything on my eyeballs again." Harry retorted to her annoyed. "They're impossible to put on and remove."

At that very moment, Hermione appeared at his shoulder; she was holding her cloak over her head and was, inexplicably, beaming.

"I've had an idea, Harry! Give me your glasses, quick!"

He handed them to her, and as the team watched in amazement, Hermione tapped them with her wand and said, "Impervius!"

"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"

Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.

"Brilliant!" he called hoarsely after her as she disappeared into the crowd. "Okay, team, let's go for it! Tess, want to do the honors?"

"GET YOUR ASSES IN THE SKY!" Tess shouted, having her hair fixed and pulled back into a tight bun (thanks to a hair charm from Katie)

Hermione's spell had done the trick. Harry was still numb with cold, still wetter than he'd ever been in his life, but he could see. Full of fresh determination, he urged his broom through the turbulent air, staring in every direction for the Snitch, avoiding a Bludger, ducking beneath Diggory, who was streaking in the opposite direction...

There was another clap of thunder, followed immediately by forked lightning. This was getting more and more dangerous. Harry needed to get the Snitch quickly -

He turned, intending to head back toward the middle of the field, but at that moment, another flash of lightning illuminated the stands, and Harry saw something that distracted him completely, the silhouette of an enormous shaggy black dog that looked like Padfoot, clearly imprinted against the sky, motionless in the topmost, empty row of seats.

Harry's numb hands slipped on the broom handle and his Nimbus dropped a few feet. Shaking his sodden bangs out of his eyes, he squinted back into the stands. The dog had vanished.

"Harry!" came Wood's anguished yell from the Gryffindor goal posts. "Harry, behind you!"

Harry looked wildly around. Cedric Diggory was pelting up the field, and a tiny speck of gold was shimmering in the rain-filled air between them...

With a jolt of panic, Harry threw himself flat to the broom handle and zoomed toward the Snitch.

"Come on!" he growled at his Nimbus as the rain whipped his face. "Faster!"

But something odd was happening. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though as strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. It was as though someone had turned off the sound, as though Harry had gone suddenly deaf - what was going on?

Tess was reaching for the Quaffle when she felt faint and horribly cold. She knew this feeling all too well, she had had nightmares from the first time she experienced a dreadful feeling such as this.

And then a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over them, inside them, just as they became aware of something moving on the field below...

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Tess said loudly to no one as she looked down on the field. "Here? Now?"

Harry, only a few feet away from his best friend, of course heard her and couldn't help but agree with her as he took his eyes off the Snitch and also looked down, realizing what she had seen.

At least a hundred Dementors, their hidden faces pointing up at them, shot up like torpedos, and were floating beside each of them. It was as though freezing water were rising in his chest, cutting at his insides. And then he heard it again...Someone was screaming, screaming inside his head...a woman...

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..."

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead -"

Tess wanted to fight them, but she knew what they were capable of. After passing the Quaffle to Angelina and yelling at her to get away from them, Tess flew past the Dementors but while she did, she heard the familiar haunting explosion, which sounded like ten thousand claps of thunder, more than the storm above could ever produce. The whoosh of fire spread across her body and Tess started coughing as she inhaled what appeared to be smoke and her vision started to blur as a bright fiery vision filled Tess' vision, and she began to fall down...down….down.

Numbing, swirling white mist was filling Harry's brain...What was he doing? Why was he flying? He needed to help her...She was going to die...She was going to be murdered…

He was falling, falling through the icy mist.

"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy..."

A shrill voice was laughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew no more.

"Lucky Dumbledore caught them before they hit the ground."

"I thought they both were dead for sure."

"But he didn't even break his glasses."

"Lucky Tess didn't break her head."

"Like it couldn't get anymore broken?"

Harry or Tess could hear the voices whispering, but they made no sense whatsoever. They didn't have a clue where they were, or how they had gotten there, or what they'd been doing before they got there. All they knew was that every inch of their bodies felt as though they had been beaten.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Scariest...the scariest thing...hooded black figures...cold...screaming...

Harry's and Tess' eyes snapped open. They was lying in the hospital wing. The Gryffindor Quidditch team, spattered with mud from head to foot, was gathered around their beds that were seated right next to each other. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione were also there, looking as though they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool.

"Harry! Tess! " said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath, the mud. "How're you two feeling?"

It was as though Harry's memory was on fast forward. The lightning...the Grim...the Snitch...and the Dementors…

"Except for the aching and the fact that I have no idea how we got here, I think we're uh, pretty chill." said Tess.

"Chill?" Ron asked.

"She means she's ok." Johnnie translated.

"What happened?" Harry said, sitting up so suddenly they all gasped.

"You both fell off," said Fred. "Must've been - what - fifty feet?"

"We thought you both had died," said Katie, who was shaking.

Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.

"But the match," said Harry. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

No one said anything. The horrible truth sank into them like stones.

"We lost, didn't we?" Tess asked rhetorically.

"Diggory got the Snitch," said George. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square...even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" said Harry, suddenly realizing he wasn't there.

"Still in the showers," said Fred. "We think he's trying to drown himself."

Tess got out of the bed and punched the wall. "Damn it!"

Johnnie put his hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, cuz."

Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before."

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," said George.

"It's not over yet," said Fred. "We lost by a hundred points."

"Right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," said George.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw..."

"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff..."

"It all depends on the points - a margin of a hundred either way -"

Harry lay there, not saying a word. They had lost...for the first time ever, he had lost a Quidditch match.

"Just chill, bro." said Tess. "You know who I blame? Those fucking Dementors." She fixed her eyes on her cousin. "They're not still around are they?"

"Oh, you should have seen Dumbledore." Johnnie shuddered at the memory. "Beyond pissed he was. Dementors aren't supposed to be on campus. As soon as he saved both of your falling asses he sent them straight off. I'm pretty sure I heard him yelling at them."

After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave them in peace.

"We'll come and see you later," Fred told him. "Don't beat yourself up. Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had. You too Tess, even though you're not a Seeker."

The team trooped out, trailing mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey shut the door behind them, looking disapproving. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione moved nearer to Harry and Tess' beds.

"Oh I wish you were awake." said Ron. "After Dumbledore saved you and sent off the Dementors, he magicked you both onto a couple of stretchers. And walked up to school with you both floating on them. Everyone thought you two were..."

His voice faded, but Harry hardly noticed. He was thinking about what the Dementors had done to him...about the screaming voice. He looked up and saw Ron and Hermione looking at him so anxiously that he quickly cast around for something matter-of-fact to say.

"Did someone get our brooms?"

Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione looked quickly at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Er -"

"What?" said Harry, looking from one to the other.

"Uh, the good news is." said Johnnie. "Tess' broom only hit a couple of students in the crowds, don't know which house it was. Harry, your broom though…"

"What?"

"It hit the..." Hermione winced. " it hit - oh, Harry - it hit the Whomping Willow."

Harry's insides lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very violent tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds. Harry, Ron, and Tess were unlucky to get a taste of it's wrath when they were blocked from taking the train on the start of their second year.

"And?" he said, dreading the answer.

"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," said Ron. "It - it doesn't like being hit."

"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," said Hermione in a very small voice.

Slowly, she reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry's faithful, finally beaten broomstick.


	24. Putting The Foot Down

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Tess and Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. Neither one of them argued or complained, but Harry wouldn't let her throw away the shattered remnants of his Nimbus Two Thousand. He knew he was being stupid, knew that the Nimbus was beyond repair, but Harry couldn't help it; he felt as though he'd lost one of his best friends.

Tess offered to give him her broom but Harry declined, saying that he wanted to hold on to his Nimbus.

They both had a stream of visitors, all intent on cheering both up. Hagrid sent Harry a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, and Ginny Weasley, blushing furiously, turned up with a get-well card she had made herself, which sang shrilly unless Harry kept it shut under his bowl of fruit. But the company with Tess was comfortable. The Gryffindor team visited again on Sunday morning, this time accompanied by Wood, who told Harry (in a hollow, dead sort of voice) that he didn't blame him in the slightest. Ron, Johnnie, and Hermione left Harry and Tess bedside only at night. But nothing anyone said or did could make Harry feel any better, because they knew only half of what was troubling him.

One day however, a surprise visitor turned up, while Harry was sleeping, to find Tess reading a comic book.

"Dr. Strange?" Malfoy asked. "Who's this Dr. Strange? Is he a wizard?"

"Some might say that." said Tess as she put it away. "But if you read comic books, you wouldn't ask that question."

" I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about and yet here we are." Malfoy retorted.

Tess rolled her amethyst eyes. "Draco, what do you want?"

"While I am enjoying the bitter defeat of you Gryffindors, I was very specific that you would not fall off your broom." said Malfoy. "But again, here you are. Why is it you never listen to anybody?"

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Tess asked. "I wasn't paying attention."

"You're impossible." Malfoy shook his head.

"No, you're insufferable." said Tess. "Then again it could be the enormous amounts of butter you put in your hair."

Malfoy groaned. "I never slicked my hair that much. It's your filthy Yank nonsense that makes you impossible."

"Is this a distraction for some ploy?" asked Tess. "Where are your sidekicks?"

"Pigging out in the Great Hall as normal days go." said Malfoy. "I was heading back to my common room when I decided to drop by. And to wish that Tosser Potter never gets out."

"All I have to do is scream and Pomfery's gonna whoop your ass out of here." said Tess.

"But you won't do that." said Malfoy.

"And how do you know that?" Tess asked boldly.

"Because compared to the rest of your friends, you're not a coward." Malfoy replied.

"And unlike you, me and my friends aren't conceited douchebags." Tess sht back quickly.

"You never give up, do you?"

"No, not really no."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Madam Pomfery rushed in between the third years. "Can't you see that these children need rest? Out, out with you this instant! OUT!" She dragged Malfoy away and just when he was inches away from the door, he called back to Tess, "Enjoy naptime, Crosswell!" But as soon as those words escaped his mouth, Tess stuck out her middle finger at the wizard.

"How mature of you, Tess." Harry gave her a disapproving look. "And stop talking to Malfoy, will you?"

"Sure thing Mr. Eavesdropper." Tess snuggled under the covers of her bed.

"S'not my fault I'm a light sleeper." Harry retorted.

Harry hadn't told anyone about the Grim, not even Ron, Tess, and Hermione, because he knew Ron would panic and Hermione would scoff. The fact remained, however, that it had now appeared twice, and both appearances had been followed by near-fatal accidents; the first time, he had nearly been run over by the Knight Bus; the second, fallen fifty feet from his broomstick. Was the Grim going to haunt him until he actually died? Was he going to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder for the beast?

Harry did talk to Johnnie about the Grim looking suspiciously like Padfoot, but he insisted that he kept his dog locked in his dorm, because apparently he hated rain. How could have Padfoot been at the match?

And then there were the Dementors. Harry felt sick and humiliated every time he thought of them. Tess just wanted them to leave her alone. Everyone said the Dementors were horrible, but no one else collapsed every time they went near one. No one else heard echoes in their head of their dying parents or how they happened.

Because Harry knew who that screaming voice belonged to now. He had heard her words, heard them over and over again during the night hours in the hospital wing while he lay awake, staring at the strips of moonlight on the ceiling. When the Dementors approached him, he heard the last moments of his mother's life, her attempts to protect him, Harry, from Lord Voldemort, and Voldemort's laughter before he murdered her...Harry dozed fitfully, sinking into dreams full of clammy, rotted hands and petrified pleading, jerking awake to dwell again on his mother's voice.

Tess knew from the first time she heard the sound, that it was the night of her mother's death, when the Salem Squad building exploded. And Morgan Crosswell's body was almost burned beyond recognition because of the severe damage that was done. Tess could never get the image of her mother's charred body out of her head from the moment she first saw it.

It was a relief to return to the noise and bustle of the main school on Monday, where he was forced to think about other things, even if he had to endure Draco Malfoy's taunting. Malfoy was almost beside himself with glee at Gryffindor's defeat. He had finally taken off his bandages, and celebrated having the full use of both arms again by doing spirited imitations of Harry falling off his broom. Malfoy spent much of their next Potions class doing Dementor imitations across the dungeon; Ron finally cracked and flung a large, slippery crocodile heart at Malfoy, which hit him in the face and caused Snape to take fifty points from Gryffindor. Tess endured Pansy Parkinson's behavior, after all, she'd heard worse insults. Even though the rest of her friends tried to protect her, Tess argued saying that she could take care of herself.

"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving off," said Ron as they headed toward Lupin's classroom after lunch. "Check who's in there, Hermione."

Hermione peered around the classroom door.

"It's okay!"

Professor Lupin was back at work. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nevertheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape's behavior while Lupin had been ill.

"It's not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves -"

"- two rolls of parchment!"

"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked, frowning slightly.

The babble broke out again.

"Yes, but he said we were really behind -"

"- he wouldn't listen -"

"- two rolls of parchment!"

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face.

"Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh no," said Hermione, looking very disappointed. "I've already finished it!"

"Me too." said Tess.

"Who are you and what have you done with Quintessa Crosswell?" Hermione asked jokingly. Tess stuck out her tongue at her best friend.

They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a Hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless looking.

"Lures travelers into bogs," said Professor Lupin as they took notes. "You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead - people follow the light - then -"

The Hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door, Harry among them, but -

"Wait a moment, Harry and Tess." Lupin called. "I'd like a word."

Harry and Tess doubled back and watched Professor Lupin covering the Hinkypunk's box with a cloth.

"I heard about the match," said Lupin, turning back to his desk and starting to pile books into his briefcase, "and I'm sorry about your broomstick. Is there any chance of fixing it?"

"No," said Harry. "The tree smashed it to bits."

Lupin sighed.

"They planted the Whomping Willow the same year that I arrived at Hogwarts. People used to play a game, trying to get near enough to touch the trunk. In the end, a boy called Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, and we were forbidden to go near it. No broomstick would have a chance." Tess got the feeling that he wasn't telling the whole story but she let it slide. No one knew it, not even the Crosswells, but Johnnie and Tess and Hermione were three of the few people in Hogwarts who knew about Lupin's condition and they didn't tell anyone out of fear for him and his job. They didn't want to give up the best teacher this school had and Tess certainly didn't want to hurt the person who was practically an uncle to both her and Harry.

"Did you hear about the Dementors too?" She asked.

Lupin looked at her quickly.

"Yes, I did. I don't think any of us have seen Professor Dumbledore that angry. They have been growing restless for some time...furious at his refusal to let them inside the grounds...I suppose they were the reason you two fell?"

"Yes," said Harry. He hesitated, and then the question he had to ask burst from him before he could stop himself. "Why? Why do they affect us like that? Am I just -?"

"It has nothing to do with weakness," said Professor Lupin sharply, as though he had read Harry's mind. "The Dementors affect you both worse than the others because there are horrors in both of your pasts that the others don't have. Horrors your classmates can scarcely imagine." A ray of wintry sunlight fell across the classroom, illuminating Lupin's gray hairs and the lines on his young face. "Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself - soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life. And the worst that happened to you two, is enough to make anyone fall off their broom. You have nothing to feel ashamed of."

"When they get near me -" Harry stared at Lupin's desk, his throat tight. "I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."

"I can also hear the explosion that took my mom's life." Tess said.

"Explosion?" Harry asked. Tess had never really told her friends about the night her mother died.

Lupin made a sudden motion with his arms as though to grip both Tess and Harry's shoulders, but thought better of it. There was a moment's silence, then -

"Why did they have to come to the match?" said Tess bitterly. "What are we to them, fast food?"

"They're getting hungry," said Lupin coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. "Dumbledore won't let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up...I don't think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement...emotions running high...it was their idea of a feast."

"Azkaban must be terrible," Harry muttered. Lupin nodded grimly.

"Well, it's a prison what did you expect?" Tess asked him rhetorically.

"The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don't need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're all trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheery thought. Most of them go mad within weeks."

"But Sirius Black escaped from them," Harry said slowly. "He got away..."

"I still can't figure out how." Tess chimed in.

Lupin's briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.

"Yes," he said, straightening up, "Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn't have believed it possible...Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long..."

"You made that Dementor on the train back off," said Harry suddenly.

"Which means that you can teach us what you know." said Tess knowing exactly what Harry was thinking.

"There are - certain defenses one can use," said Lupin. "But there was only one Dementor on the train. The more there are, the more difficult it becomes to resist."

"What defenses?" said Harry at once. "Can you teach us?"

"I don't pretend to be an expert at fighting Dementors, Harry - quite the contrary..."

"But if the Dementors come to another Quidditch match, or wherever we are, we need to be ready for anything." said Tess. "If you want to make sure we don't become their snacks again, the least we can do is learn how to defend ourselves."

Lupin looked into Harry and Tess' determined faces, hesitated, then said, "Well...all right. I'll try and help. But it'll have to wait until next term, I'm afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill."


	25. The Map of Marauders

What with the promise of anti-Dementor lessons from Lupin, the thought that he might never have to hear their mother's death again, and the fact that Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, Harry's mood took a definite upturn. Gryffindor were not out of the running after all, although they could not afford to lose another match. Wood became repossessed of his manic energy, and worked his team as hard as ever in the chilly haze of rain that persisted into December. Harry saw no hint of a Dementor within the grounds. Dumbledore's anger seemed to be keeping them at their stations at the entrances.

Tess was already pumped for the lessons, ready to "kick some decaying Dementor ass".

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Ron, Tess, and Hermione had decided to remain at Hogwarts, and though Ron said it was because he couldn't stand two weeks with Percy, and Hermione insisted she needed to use the library, Harry wasn't fooled; they were doing it to keep him company, and he was very grateful. Johnnie had gone back with Padfoot back to his mother for the holidays.

To everyone's delight except Harry's, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" said Hermione. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

"I need the fresh air." said Tess.

Resigned to the fact that he would be the only third year staying behind again, Harry borrowed a copy of Which Broomstick from Wood, and decided to spend the day reading up on the different makes. He had been riding one of the school brooms at team practice, an ancient Shooting Star, which was very slow and jerky; he definitely needed a new broom of his own.

On the Saturday morning of the Hogsmeade trip, Harry bid good-bye to Ron, Tess, and Hermione, who were wrapped in cloaks and scarves, then turned up the marble staircase alone, and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.

Soon, he got very bored and decided that if he wasn't going to Hogsmeade with permission, he decided that he would just have to get there undetected. Grabbing his father's Invisibility Cloak he made his way into the courtyards where he stumbled across The Weasley Twins building a snowman. Of course, his footprints in the rising snow was noticeable so the twins grabbed Harry by what they correctly assumed were his arms.

"Clever Harry." said Fred.

"But not clever enough." said George.

"Besides, we've got a better idea."

"Guys let me go." Harry grunted. "I'm trying to get to Hogsmeade!"

"We know." the twins said in unison. They dragged him in a hall near a broom closet. "Now Harry, come and join the big boys."

They pulled the cloak off Harry and placed a piece of parchment in his hand. It was a large square piece with nothing written on it. "What are you doing? What's this rubbish?"

Fred scoffed. " 'What's this rubbish?' He says. That there is the secret to our success."

"It's a wrench, giving it to you," said George, "but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours."

"Anyway, we know it by heart," said Fred. "We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."

"And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?" said Harry.

"A bit of old parchment!" said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. "Explain, George."

"Well...when we were in our first year, Harry - young, carefree, and innocent -"

Harry snorted. He doubted whether Fred and George had ever been innocent.

"¨See well, more innocent than we are now - we got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason -"

"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual -"

"- detention -"

"- disembowelment -"

"- and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

"Don't tell me -" said Harry, starting to grin.

"Well, what would you've done?" said Fred. "George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed - this."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know," said George. "We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"And you know how to work it?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes," said Fred, smirking. "This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

"You're winding me up," said Harry, looking at the ragged old bit of parchment.

"Oh, are we?" said George.

He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider's web from the point that George's wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Phoenix, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing were the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Harry bent over it. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his study; the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Harry's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, he noticed something else.

This map showed a set of passages he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead -

"Right into Hogsmeade," said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger. "There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four" - he pointed them out - "but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it's caved in - completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. And as you might've noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through that one-eyed old crone's hump."

"Moony, Wormtail, Phoenix, Padfoot, and Prongs," sighed George, patting the heading of the map. "We owe them so much."

"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers," said Fred solemnly. "Although I'm pretty sure that this Phoenix was a woman."

"Right," said George briskly. "Don't forget to wipe it after you've used it -"

"- or anyone can read it," Fred said warningly.

"Just tap it again and say, "Mischief managed!" And it'll go blank."

"So, young Harry," said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, "mind you behave yourself."

"See you in Honeydukes," said George, winking.

They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way.

Harry stood there, gazing at the miraculous map. He watched the tiny ink Mrs. Norris turn left and pause to sniff at something on the floor. If Filch really didn't know...he wouldn't have to pass the Dementors at all...

But even as he stood there, flooded with excitement, something Harry had once heard Mr. Weasley say came floating out of his memory:

_Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where it keeps its brain._

This map was one of those dangerous magical objects Mr. Weasley had been warning against...Aids for Magical Mischief Makers...but then, Harry reasoned, he only wanted to use it to get into Hogsmeade, it wasn't as though he wanted to steal anything or attack anyone...and Fred and George had been using it for years without anything horrible happening…

Harry traced the secret passage to Honeydukes with his finger.

Then, quite suddenly, as though following orders, he rolled up the map, stuffed it inside his robes, and hurried to the door of the classroom. He opened it a couple of inches. There was no one outside. Very carefully, he edged out of the room and behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.

What did he have to do? He pulled out the map again and saw to his astonishment, that a new ink figure had appeared upon it, labeled 'Harry Potter'. This figure was standing exactly where the real Harry was standing, about halfway down the third-floor corridor. Harry watched carefully. His little Ink self appeared to be tapping the witch with his minute wand. Harry quickly took out his real wand and tapped the statue. Nothing happened. He looked back at the map. The tiniest speech bubble had appeared next to his figure. The word inside said, 'Dissendium.'

"Dissendium!" Harry whispered, tapping the stone witch again.

At once, the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. Harry glanced quickly up and down the corridor, then tucked the map away again, hoisted himself into the hole headfirst, and pushed himself forward.

He slid a considerable way down what felt like a stone slide, then landed on cold, damp earth. He stood up, looking around. It was pitch dark. He held up his wand, muttered, "Lumos!" and saw that he was in a very narrow, low, earthy passageway. He raised the map, tapped it with the tip of his wand, and muttered, "Mischief managed!" The map went blank at once. He folded it carefully, tucked it inside his robes, then, heart beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, he set off.

The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. Harry hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding his wand out in front of him.

It took ages, but Harry had the thought of Honeydukes to sustain him. After what felt like an hour, the passage began to rise. Panting, Harry sped up, his face hot, his feet very cold.

Ten minutes later, he came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above him. Careful not to make any noise, Harry began to climb. A hundred steps, two hundred steps, he lost count as he climbed, watching his feet...then, without warning, his head hit something hard.

It seemed to be a trapdoor. Harry stood there, massaging the top of his head, listening. He couldn't hear any sounds above him. Very slowly, he pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge.

He was in a cellar, which was full of wooden crates and boxes. Harry climbed out of the trapdoor and replaced it - it blended so perfectly with the dusty floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. Harry crept slowly toward the wooden staircase that led upstairs. Now he could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door.

Wondering what he ought to do, he suddenly heard a door open much closer at hand; somebody was about to come downstairs.

"And get another box of Jelly Slugs, dear, they've nearly cleaned us out -" said a woman's voice.

A pair of feet was coming down the staircase. Harry leapt behind an enormous crate and waited for the footsteps to pass. He heard the man shifting boxes against the opposite wall. He might not get another chance -

Quickly and silently, Harry dodged out from his hiding place and climbed the stairs; looking back, he saw an enormous backside and shiny bald head, buried in a box. Harry reached the door at the top of the stairs, slipped through it, and found himself behind the counter of Honeydukes - he ducked, crept sideways, and then straightened up.

Honeydukes was so crowded with Hogwarts students that no one looked twice at Harry. He edged among them, looking around, and suppressed a laugh as he imagined the look that would spread over Dudley's piggy face if he could see where Harry was now.

There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows; there was a large barrel of Every Flavor Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbet balls that Ron had mentioned; along yet another wall were 'Special Effects' - sweets: Droobles Best Blowing Gum (which filled a room with bluebell-colored bubbles that refused to pop for days), the strange, splintery Toothflossing Stringmints, tiny black Pepper Imps ('breathe fire for your friends!'), Ice Mice ('hear your teeth chatter and squeak!'), peppermint creams shaped like toads ('hop realistically in the stomach!'), fragile sugar-spun quills, and exploding bonbons.

Harry squeezed himself through a crowd of sixth years and saw a sign hanging in the farthest corner of the shop (UNUSUAL TASTES). Ron and Hermione were standing underneath it, examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops. Harry sneaked up behind them.

"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect," Hermione was saying.

"How about these?" said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"Definitely not," said Harry behind them.

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

"Harry!" squealed Hermione. "What are you doing here? How - how did you -?"

"Wow!" said Ron, looking very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"

"'Course I haven't," said Harry. "Where's Tess?"

"She's out exploring Hogsmaede by herself." said Hermione. "I think she wanted to see Zonko's Joke Shop again, she loves that place."

"That's no surprise." Harry dropped his voice so that none of the sixth years could hear him and told them all about the Marauder's Map.


	26. Chapter 26

Draco Malfoy had left his friends to their own business and walked by himself. To be honest with himself, he was getting a little bored. But he would do something. He was Draco Malfoy, of course he would fix it one way or another. He needed something to distract him from his boredom so he could please himself with something new. But what?

He turned his head to see a familiar blonde girl in a leather jacket leaning against a store alone.

_Hmm. Forget it. She's everything a Malfoy is not. Still...maybe she won't be so bad._

Draco walked towards her and cleared his throat, unable to think of something to say.

"Where are your cronies?" Tess asked.

"Off doing something." said Draco. "Hey, I'm kind of bored, do you wanna go for...a walk?"

Tess raised an eyebrow at him. "You're using me to kill your boredom?"

 _Stupid, stupid!_ Draco thought. "Well, not that I just want to use you like a wand until I got bored again, but you seem kind of bored too and I thought you needed company."

"Well I am kind of bored too." said Tess. "So yeah, I'll go on that walk."

"Good." He said. "Come on." He offered his arm as if to escort her but she pushed it down.

"Don't push it buddy." She said.

The wizards went on into the wintry white forest, occasionally passing by a few wizards here and there while talking with each other.

"Tess?" Draco asked in the forest. "Why do you have purple eyes?"

"I was born like that." She replied. "It's mostly because I'm descended of Native Americans."

"That's interesting." Draco said smiling By the time they reached the fence in front of a side of the Shrieking Shack. Even in the blinding white snowy weather, the abandoned haunted house looked sufficiently terrifying.

"Tell me something about yourself Draco." Tess said to him.

"Uhhh…" He fumbled for something. "Well, I'm 13, I like chocolate and playing Quidditch."

"Huh." said Tess sitting down near the fence with Draco. "Same as me."

"Really?" Draco asked. "Is your middle name Lucius?"

"No it's Charlotte and.." She paused. "Your middle name is one of your parents' name?"

"Yes." He looked at her strangely.

"Huh. That's what I call conformity."

"Conformity huh?" Draco challenged. "I'd like to see you trying that for a change. For instance you could be traditional about some things. For instance that, board on wheels…"

"My skateboard?" Tess asked. "And no, I'm not giving up my boardie. It was autographed by Tony Raptor himself."

"What the hell is a Tony Raptor?" Draco asked.

"Never mind." Tess said turning her attention to the haunted house. "I would spend a night there. If I could."

"Are you afraid?" Draco asked.

"Are you? Or do you wanna move closer if you're too uncomfortable." Tess teased, pushing him.

"Hey!" He said pushing her back a little. There was a heavy silence until Draco asked the question he had been dying to ask her for the past 2 years. "Tess, why do you call me by my name when everyone calls me Malfoy?"

"Isn't Malfoy your name?" Tess asked smartly. Draco gave her a "don't play with me" look and she sighed. "Well Draco, Draco, is a really cool name. I like it."

He looked at her shocked. "Y-you like my name?"

"Your name means 'dragon' genius." Tess snapped.

"Your name isn't bad Quintessa." He said.

"It's too long." said Tess.

"What about Quinn?" Draco asked. "It's kind of elegant."

"No way." said Tess. 'Elegance leads to femininity and I refuse to do anything of that kind."

"And to be clear, I know what Draco means." He said. "You and your cousin aren't the only ones who know Latin."

"You know Latin too?" Tess asked.

"Non videtur homo esse." **(A man is not all he appears to be)**

"Interdum magna ostenduntur invaderet." **(Sometimes great things are shown in plain sight.)**

"Well I have to know something besides English." said Draco. "Father always said that communication is key to many things."

Tess was about to say something witty but was shut down at the mention of the word, "Father"

Realizing Tess didn't say anything witty and she was looking down, Draco scooted a little closer and asked, "Tess? Did I say something? What's wrong?"

"It's just that you bring up your father.."

"And?"

"I've always wanted to know about my father but...now I'm not so sure. What kind of man leaves his own kid? Did he even care? Maybe I don't wanna know."

"Yes you do." said Draco looking into her eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked the Slytherin Prince.

"Because I know that look in your eyes." He said, his hand brushing over hers. "That's the look of wanting to figure something out. The kind I see Granger get whenever she wants to know something. I get it."

"No Draco. You don't." She said. "See you were raised as practically, well, a prince. Just..picture in your head, what growing up had to be like for me. Sure I had Mom, for a period of time, and my aunt and my cousin as the man of the house. Your father's a man who teaches you who you are. But Johnnie's dad was dead because of the war. My dad, he was never there, not even in memory. No photos of him, no letters, not even a name. My past isn't just one question, it's a million. For instance, why didn't he ever come back?"

"Maybe he couldn't?" Draco suggested. "Maybe he wanted to keep you safe and in doing so sent you away?" Tess stiffened. She had never thought about it that way. "I'm not an expert on this kind of stuff, but I'm just saying maybe he just couldn't be there for you."

"I guess." She said. "But he's out there somewhere. Probably doesn't remember he has a daughter."

"Would be pretty cool to know your father's surname." said Draco. "Just to see where you fit."

Tess scoffed. "You are such a stiff."

"I'm not."

Tess quickly pulled his hat off and scooped up some snow, dropping it on his platinum blonde hair.

"Take that back." He demanded.

"Why don't ya make me?" Tess challenged.

Draco grabbed some snow and flicked it in Tess' face. "Take that...Quinnie."

"Oh that is it." She said smiling devilishly. "You're dead Malfoy!" She lunged on him, wrestling in the snow, throwing snow on each other and more importantly, Tess felt a spark ignite inside her and Draco for the first time in his life, actually had fun.

But at the same time, Harry Potter made a discovery not only about himself but one of his best friends as well.


	27. Chapter 27

The trio trudge through the snowy streets of Hogsmeade. Harry had donned Hermione's scarf and Ron's hat to disguise himself.

"Those weasels!" Ron said. "Never told me about any Marauder's Map."

"But Harry isn't going to keep it." said Hermione. "He's going to turn it over to Professor McGonagall, aren't you?"

"Oh sure." Ron said sarcastically. "Along with his invisibility cloak, his pack of exploding snap cards, his -

"Oh, shut up." Hermione snapped. Soon, they came across the Three Broomsticks Pub.

"Rosmerta, m'dear!" A jolly voice sounded out. Up ahead Cornelius Fudge emerged from a Ministry sleigh

"That's Madam Rosmerta." said Hermione. "Heard that Ron fancies her."

"It's not true!" Ron argued before being shushed by Harry.

"Rosmerta my dear." Cornelius said with McGonagall arriving next to him. "I trust business is good?"

"It'd be a lot better if the Ministry wasn't sending Dementors into my pub every other night." She said enunciating every word.

"We have a killer on the loose."

"Sirius Black in Hogsmeade!" Romserta exclaimed. "And what would bring him here."

"Harry Potter and Quintessa Crosswell." whispered McGonagall.

"Harry Potter and that American?" Rosmerta asked only to get pushed inside. Harry had already put on his Invisibility Cloak and went inside past very strange-looking patrons. Ron and Hermione rippled briefly past a frosted window just to see where he was going or to try to see it. Harry followed McGonagall into the back room far from the public. He could barely make out what they were saying even as he opened the door and Rosmerta closed it again

"Now." said Rosmerta. "Tell me what this is all about."

"Now years ago." McGonagall began. "When Harry Potter's parents realized they were marked for death, the same as Morgan Crosswell, she fled to America with her unborn child. Few knew where the Potters were. One who did was Sirius Black. And he told You Know Who!"

"I've heard this rot." said Rosmerta. "It was all over The Daily Prophet back in the day. And I'll say now what I said then: Of all the boys I ran out of here, Black's the last who would've gone over to the dark side. Hearsay. That's all the Ministry had. Hearsay."

"Ha!" Cornelius exclaimed. "Tell that to Peter Pettigrew!

"Peter Pettigrew?" Romserta asked.

Little lump of a boy." said McGonagall. "Always tagging after Black and Potter and Crosswell...

"I remember him." said Rosmerta. "What's he got to do with it?"

"Actually there's another person." said McGonagall. "You remember Morgan Crosswell right?"

"Of course."

"Well it turns out, she had a brother named Michael Crosswell." said Fudge. "Who was serving his time in the Wizarding War with his healing expertise to the wounded Aurors. One night, he was out buying supplies for his medicines and he spotted a figure running alone. Michael of course, got suspicious and followed him to a place where he overheard You Know Who discussing his plans on how he was going to go after the Potters. Being the brave chap he was, Michael tried to flee to warn the Potters and unfortunately, ran into Black who by then, had finished him off."

Harry's blood froze. _Johnnie's going to have a heart attack._ He thought.

"After the Potters were killed, Pettigrew went looking for Black." said McGonagall. "And, unfortunately... found him."

"Black was vicious." said Fudge. "Unlike Michael, he didn't kill Pettigrew. He destroyed him. A finger. That's all that was left. A finger - there's your hearsay."

"Sirius Black may not have put his hands to the Potters but he's the reason they're dead!" McGonagall cried.

"And now he wants to finish what he started." Fudge chimed in.

"I can't believe it." said Rosmerta. "What could be worse?"

"This: Sirius Black was and remains to this day." said McGonagall. "Harry Potter's godfather! But first Harry then Black will surely go after Quintessa and corrupt that girl's soul." Harry, who was still reeling in shock and pain, turned around and stopped moving. What did Tess have to do with the man who betrayed his parents?

"I don't understand." said Rosmerta. "What does the American girl have to do with a mass murderer?"

"It is something that few people know to this day." said McGonagall. "Quintessa Crosswell was, has been, and always will be…"

 

                                                                                                      "Sirius Black's Daughter!"

 


	28. Chapter 28

BAM! The doors of the pub bursted open and the still invisible Harry ran along the snow up to a small rock in the woods.

He still didn't take off the Invisibility Cloak because all he could do was sit and breathe.

His mind was reeling and going at the speed of light. He was upset that they didn't tell him and he felt pain and anger towards the man but at the same time, he was overcome with a numbing feeling. What could he say about the person who betrayed his parents was not only his best friend's father but his own godfather?

 _Wait._ He thought. _My godfather is Tess' father. Would that make her something like….my sister? My godsister?_

Harry never had any siblings and he always cherished his best friends as family. But now with legality terms, it would explain their alikeness in some ways. But Harry still needed time for this to sink in.

He didn't even notice Hermione pulling the cloak from him.

"Harry what happened?"

Harry didn't even hear her as he only heard his heart beating hard and fast.

"You alright mate?" Ron asked.

"Harry!" Hermione shook him

"What?" He asked, after what seemed like forever, finally blinking.

"You look like you've seen death." She said.

"He was...their friend." said Harry. "And he betrayed them. HE WAS THEIR FRIEND!" He needed to get that out but he still was feeling numb.

"You don't seem that angry." said Ron.

"Oh I'm angry." said Harry. "But I...don't know what else to feel."

"I know that Sirius Black being your godfather comes as a shock-

"No Hermione." snapped Harry looking like someone killed Hedwig. "It's not the only thing I found out. It turns out..Sirius Black? He has a daughter."

"Sirius Black has a child?" Hermione asked.

"And that child...happens to be-"

"Black is someone's dad?" Ron asked.

"Our own Tess Crosswell." Harry finished.

There was a heavy pause until Ron said, "Tess' father is-"

"YES HER FATHER!" Harry stood up and grabbed his Invisibility Cloak. "I need some time to think."

Harry didn't have a very clear idea of how he had managed to get back into the Honeydukes cellar, through the tunnel, and into the castle once more. All he knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and that he hardly noticed what he was doing, because his head was still pounding with the conversation he had just heard.

Why had nobody ever told him or Tess? Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, Aunt Sara, Cornelius Fudge...why hadn't anyone ever mentioned the fact that Harry's parents had died because their best friend had betrayed them? Why did noone mention that two children grew up fatherless because one walked out for power and killed the other?

One thing was still on his mind. What was he going to tell her? He couldn't just go up to Tess and say to her, "Hey your dad is the reason my dad and his wife are dead, therefore should we be friends?"

Ron and Hermione watched Harry nervously all through dinner, not daring to talk about what they'd overheard, because Percy was sitting close by them. Tess was talking with her colleagues from Slytherin and Harry decided then, that if his best friend was to be happy and safe from that madman while he dealt with him, Tess could never know who her father was. Even if she might literally kill him if she found out. When they went upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half a dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of-term high spirits. Harry, who didn't want Fred and George asking him whether he'd reached Hogsmeade or not, sneaked quietly up to the empty dormitory and headed straight for his bedside cabinet. He pushed his books aside and quickly found what he was looking for - the leather-bound photo album Hagrid had given him two years ago, which was full of wizard pictures of his mother and father. He sat down on his bed, drew the hangings around him, and started turning the pages, searching, until ...

He stopped on a picture of his parents' wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy black hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. And there...that must be him. Their best man...Harry had never given him a thought before.

If he hadn't known it was the same person, he would never have guessed it was Black in this old photograph. His face wasn't sunken and waxy, but handsome, full of laughter. He did look like Tess now that Harry thought of it. They had the same skin tone, same smile, same smile and apparently same free spirit. Next to Lily, was a woman in a beautiful blue dress, holding a bouquet. She had Tess' hair, confidence and wit. This was Morgan Crosswell who apparently, was a bridesmaid.

In the next picture, he saw Sirius and Morgan sitting together, looking as if they had been married for generations. They looked like they were truly in love. Then instead of being a servant to Voldemort, why couldn't be the father Tess needed?

Had he already been working for Voldemort when this picture had been taken? Was he already planning the deaths of the two people next to him? Did he realize he was facing twelve years in Azkaban, twelve years that would make him unrecognizable?

But the Dementors don't affect him, Harry thought, staring into the handsome, laughing face. He doesn't have to hear my Mum screaming if they get too close -

Harry slammed the album shut, reached over and stuffed it back into his cabinet, took off his robe and glasses and got into bed, making sure the hangings were hiding him from view.

The dormitory door opened.

"Harry?" said Ron's voice uncertainly.

But Harry lay still, pretending to be asleep. He heard Ron leave again, and rolled over on his back, his eyes wide open.

A hatred such as he had never known before was coursing through Harry like poison. He could see Black laughing at him through the darkness, as though somebody had pasted the picture from the album over his eyes. He watched, as though somebody was playing him a piece of film, Sirius Black blasting Peter Pettigrew (who resembled Neville Longbottom) into a thousand pieces. He could hear (though having no idea what Black's voice might sound like) a low, excited mutter. "It has happened, My Lord...the Potters have made me their Secret-Keeper" and then came another voice, laughing shrilly, the same laugh that Harry heard inside his head whenever the Dementors drew near...

One thing was for sure, when he found Black, he would make him pay.


	29. Chapter 29

Harry hadn't gotten to sleep until daybreak. He had awoken to find the dormitory deserted, dressed, and gone down the spiral staircase to a common room that was completely empty except for Tess, who was eating a Peppermint Toad and massaging Ron's back after he fell on his back while trying Tess' skateboard, and Hermione, who had spread her homework over three tables. Johnnie was fixing his bicycle so he could take it out to Hogsmeade. Of course this got weird looks from everyone who saw him but he didn't really mind.

"Where is everyone?" said Harry.

"Gonzo! It's the first day of Christmas Vay-cay, remember?" said Johnnie, watching Harry coming down.

"Vay-Cay?" Ron asked.

"Vacation." Tess translated. "It's nearly lunch; I was going to come and wake you up in a minute."

Harry slumped into a chair next to the fire. Snow was still falling outside the windows. Crookshanks was spread out in front of the fire like a large, ginger rug.

"You really don't look well, you know," Hermione said, peering anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine," said Harry. They all headed down to the Great Hall for lunch and while Tess and Johnnie were distracted with Padfoot's hyperactivity, Harry pulled them out of the Hall.

"Harry, listen," said Hermione, exchanging a look with Ron, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" said Harry.

"Like trying to go after Black," said Ron sharply.

Harry could tell they had rehearsed this conversation while he had been asleep. He didn't say anything.

"You won't, will you, Harry?" said Hermione.

"Because Black's not worth dying for," said Ron.

Harry looked at them. They didn't seem to understand at all.

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a Dementor gets too near me?" Ron and Hermione shook their heads, looking apprehensive. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you'd heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her -"

"There's nothing you can do!" said Hermione, looking stricken. "The Dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and - and serve him right!"

"You heard what Fudge said. Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others."

"So what are you saying?" said Ron, looking very tense. "You want to - to kill Black or something?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione in a panicky voice. "Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?"

Again, Harry didn't answer. He didn't know what he wanted to do. All he knew was that the idea of doing nothing, while Black was at liberty, was almost more than he could stand.

"Malfoy knows," he said abruptly. "Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself...I'd want revenge.'"

"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" said Ron furiously.

"Listen...you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me - the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous -"

"Malfoy's dad must have told him," said Harry, ignoring Ron. "He was right in Voldemort's inner circle -"

"Say You-Know-Who, will you?" interjected Ron angrily.

"- so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort -"

"- and Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew! Get a grip. Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you at Quidditch."

"Harry, please," said Hermione, her eyes now shining with tears, "Please be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants...Oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"

"And think about it." said Ron. "Black is Tess' father. We know that. But she doesn't. Our best friend has grown up fatherless, her own cousin has grown up fatherless."

"I grew up fatherless and motherless because of him." Harry snarled.

"What I'm trying to say." Ron continued. "Is that Tess is lucky she doesn't know what her father has done but she still should know who he is. She can't even do well in a single Divination lesson because she doesn't know who her father is."

"I'll know she or Johnnie don't know." said Harry shortly. "Which is why I'm not gonna tell them."

There was a silence in which Crookshanks stretched luxuriously flexing his claws. Ron's pocket quivered.

"You're joking right?" Hermione asked. "She's our best friend and Johnnie is our good friend. They deserve to know what happened to their fathers."

"No." Harry said. "If they find out, let alone Tess, one of them is going to go searching for Black and he might either kill or manipulate them into his own servants and then we're never gonna see either of them. Do you want them gone or do you want them safe?"

"Harry." said Ron sharply. "You need to get something through your glasses. You're feeling rage and pain, I kind of get that. You may have been raised by your neglectful aunt and uncle, but think about Tess for a second. She had her mom and she died when Tess was only 6 years old and for the rest of her years until she met us, she only had Sara and Johnnie. Tess grew up missing her parents and Johnnie grew up missing **his** father. And you need to understand you're not the only one feeling like crap, because you have no business keeping them in the dark anymore than they have."

"Ron thanks for the pep talk." said Harry. "But I'm not telling them. Can you imagine what Tess is gonna do if she finds out her own father killed her own uncle? She'll probably tear the Ministry just to find Black with her bare hands. She'll be devastated."

"But can you even fathom what she's gonna do if she finds out her best friends have been lying to her?" Hermione asked. "She might kill us."

"If you're not gonna tell Tess, at least tell Johnnie what happened to **his** father." said Ron. "You owe the Crosswells at least that much. Whatever you want on this, we will support you, he's your godfather. But remember, he's also Tess' father too."

"What's going on here?" asked Johnnie. "Come on in! It's nearly Christmas! Let's - let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him for ages!"

"No!" said Hermione quickly. "Harry isn't supposed to leave the castle, Johnnie -"

"Yeah, let's go," said Harry, sitting up, "Let's go see Hagrid."

Harry would tell Johnnie later.

"Or we could have a game of chess," Johnnie said hastily, noticing the tension. "or Gobstones. Percy left a set -"

"No, let's visit Hagrid," said Harry firmly.

So they got their cloaks from their dormitories and set off through the portrait hole ("Stand and fight, you yellow-bellied mongrels!"), down through the empty castle and out through the oak front doors.

They made their way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow, their socks and the hems of their cloaks soaked and freezing. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid's cabin looked like an iced cake.

Ron knocked, but there was no answer.

"He's not out, is he?" said Hermione, who was shivering under her cloak.

Ron had his ear to the door.

"There's a weird noise," he said. "Listen - is that Fang?"

Harry, Tess, Johnnie and Hermione put their ears to the door too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.

"Think he's ok?" Johnnie whispered to Tess.

"Don't ask me." She said.

"Think we'd better go and get someone?" said Ron nervously.

"Hagrid!" called Harry, thumping the door. "Hagrid, are you in there?"

There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes red and swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest.

"You've heard?" he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry's neck.

Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid's weight, was rescued by Ron and Johnnie, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears that dripped down into his tangled beard.

"Hagrid, what is it?" said Hermione, aghast.

Tess spotted an official-looking letter lying open on the table.

"It's this ain't it?"

"What's this, Hagrid?"

Hagrid's sobs redoubled, but he shoved the letter toward Harry, who picked it up and read aloud:

Dear Mr. Hagrid,

Further to our inquiry into the attack by a Hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

"Well, that's okay then, Hagrid!" said Ron, clapping Hagrid on the shoulder. But Hagrid continued to sob, and waved one of his gigantic hands, inviting Harry to read on.

However, we must register our concern about the Hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your Hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the Hippogriff should be kept tethered and isolated.

Yours in fellowship …

There followed a list of the school governors.

"Yikes." said Johnnie wincing. "Considering how much influence Malfoy's got in the governor's circle, this could be bad."

"Oh," said Ron. "But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad Hippogriff, Hagrid. I bet he'll get off."

"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" choked Hagrid, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures!"

A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid's cabin made Harry, Ron, and Hermione whip around. Buckbeak the Hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.

"I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!" choked Hagrid. "All on his own! At Christmas."

Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione looked at one another. They had never seen eye to eye with Hagrid about what he called 'interesting creatures' and other people called 'terrifying monsters.' On the other hand, there didn't seem to be any particular harm in Buckbeak. In fact, by Hagrid's usual standards, he was positively cute.

"You'll have to put up a good strong defense, Hagrid," said Hermione, sitting down and laying a hand on Hagrid's massive forearm. "I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe."

"I can try to defend you." said Johnnie. "I did it at a mock trial. I can do it in real life."

"Won' make no diff'rence!" sobbed Hagrid. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! Ad if I lose the case, Buckbeak -"

Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his arms.

"What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?" said Harry.

"He's done more'n enough fer me already," groaned Hagrid. "Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them Dementors outta the castle, an' Sirius Black lurkin' around."

Ron and Hermione looked quickly at Harry, as though expecting him to start berating Hagrid for not telling him the truth about Black while the Crosswell's looked confused at their reaction. But Harry couldn't bring himself to do it, not now that he saw Hagrid so miserable and scared.

"Listen, Hagrid," he said, "you can't give up. Hermione's right, You just need a good defense. You can call us as witnesses. Johnnie's 17 so he can try to represent you."

"I'm sure I've read about a case of Hippogriff-baiting." said Johnnie thoughtfully. "where the Hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened."

Hagrid howled still more loudly. Harry, The Crosswells, and Hermione looked at Ron to help them.

"Er - shall I make a cup of tea?" said Ron.

Harry stared at him.

"It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset," Ron muttered, shrugging.

At last, after many more assurances of help, with a steaming mug of tea in front of him, Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief the size of a tablecloth and said, "Yer right. I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together..."

Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid's knee.

"I've not bin meself lately," said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. "Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes -"

"We do like them!" lied Hermione at once.

"Yeah, they're great!" said Ron, crossing his fingers under the table. "Er - how are the flobberworms?"

"Dead," said Hagrid gloomily. "Too much lettuce."

"Oh no!" said Ron, his lip twitching.

"An' them Dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder. "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban -"

He fell silent, gulping his tea. Harry, Ron, Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione watched him breathlessly. They had never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban before. After a pause, Johnnie said timidly, "Is it awful being near them, Hagrid?"

"Yeh've no idea," said Hagrid quietly. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind...the day I got expelled from Hogwarts...day me dad died...day I had ter let Norbert go ..."

His eyes filled with tears. Norbert was the baby dragon Hagrid had once won in a game of cards.

"Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' really see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep. When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the Dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

"But you were innocent!" said Hermione.

Hagrid snorted.

"Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not."

Hagrid went quiet for a moment, staring into his tea. Then he said quietly, "Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go ...tryin' ter make him fly away...but how d'yeh explain ter a Hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An' - an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law..." He looked up at them, tears leaking down his face again. "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."

"Well don't worry." said Tess. "Whatever happens, we're gonna be here for you Hagrid." She gave him a big hug. "Always."


	30. Chapter 30

The trip to Hagrid's, though far from fun, had nevertheless had the effect Ron and Hermione had hoped. Though Harry had by no means forgotten about Black, he couldn't brood constantly on revenge if he wanted to help Hagrid win his case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. He, Ron, Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione went to the library the next day and returned to the empty common room laden with books that might help prepare a defense for Buckbeak. The three of them sat in front of the roaring fire, slowly turning the pages of dusty volumes about famous cases of marauding beasts, speaking occasionally when they ran across something relevant.

Johnnie went over all of his notes and started to prepare his plans on how to represent Hagrid at the trial.

"Here's something...there was a case in 1722...but the Hippogriff was convicted - ugh, look what they did to it, that's just disgusting -"

"This might help, look - a Manticore savaged someone in 1296, and they let the Manticore off - oh - no, that was only because everyone was too scared to go near it..."

Meanwhile, in the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up, despite the fact that hardly any of the students remained to enjoy them. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor, and the Great Hall was filled with its usual twelve Christmas trees, glittering with golden stars. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors, and by Christmas Eve, it had grown so strong that even Scabbers poked his nose out of the shelter of Ron's pocket to sniff hopefully at the air.

On Christmas morning, Harry was woken by Ron throwing his pillow at him.

"Oy! Presents!"

Harry reached for his glasses and put them on, squinting through the semi-darkness to the foot of his bed, where a small heap of parcels had appeared. Ron was already ripping the paper off his own presents.

"Another sweater from Mum...maroon again...see if you've got one."

Harry had. Mrs. Weasley had sent him a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, also a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle.

Tess and Johnnie got pretty much the same gifts and with extra things from Sara and a few friends. Tess' sweater was purple and Johnnie's was a brave bold gold.

As he moved all these things aside, he saw a long, thin package lying underneath.

"What's that?" said Ron, looking over, a freshly unwrapped pair of maroon socks in his hand.

"Dunno..."

Harry ripped the parcel open and gasped as a magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto his bedspread. Ron dropped his socks and jumped off his bed for a closer look.

"I don't believe it," he said hoarsely.

"No stinking way." Tess breathed.

It was a Firebolt, identical to the dream broom Harry had gone to see every day in Diagon Alley. Its handle glittered as he picked it up. He could feel it vibrating and let go; it hung in midair, unsupported, at exactly the right height for him to mount it. His eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle, right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

"Where. In the holy hell. Did that come from?" said Johnnie in a hushed voice.

"Look and see if there's a card," said Harry.

Ron ripped apart the Firebolt's wrappings.

"Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you?"

"Yeah that's gotta cost two times a fortune!" said Tess excited, feeling the broomstick under her palm. "Oh. So beautiful."

"Well," said Harry, feeling stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys."

"I bet it was Dumbledore," said Ron, now walking around and around the Firebolt, taking in every glorious inch. "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously..."

"That was my dad's, though," said Harry. "Dumbledore was just passing it on to me. He wouldn't spend hundreds of Galleons on me. He can't go giving students stuff like this -"

"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!" said Ron. "In case some git like Malfoy said it was favoritism. Hey, Harry -" Ron gave a great whoop of laughter - "Malfoy! Wait 'til he sees you on this! He'll be sick as a pig! This is an international standard broom, this is!"

"Well someone obviously sent it to you." said Johnnie. "We may never know who but until then I say, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade."

"I can't believe this," Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron sank onto Harry's bed, laughing his head off at the thought of Malfoy. "Who-?"

"I know," said Ron, controlling himself, "I know who it could've been - Lupin!"

"What?" said Harry, now starting to laugh himself "Lupin? Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes."

"Hey!" Tess said annoyed.

"No offense."

"Yeah, but he likes you," said Ron. "And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you -"

"What d'you mean, he was away?" said Harry. "He was ill when I was playing in that match."

"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron. "I was there, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?"

Harry frowned at Ron.

"Maybe he wanted to be alone." said Tess, covering up for Lupin.

"Exactly." Johnnie added on.

"Well Johnnie, I can't see Lupin affording something like this."

"What're you hoodlums laughing about?"

Hermione had just come in, wearing her dressing gown and carrying Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy, with a string of tinsel tied around his neck.

"Don't bring him in here!" said Ron, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his bed and stowing him in his pajama pocket.

But Hermione wasn't listening. She dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty bed and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt.

"Oh, Harry! Who sent you that?"

"No idea," said Harry. "There wasn't a card or anything with it."

To his great surprise, Hermione did not appear either excited or intrigued by the news. On the contrary, her face fell, and she bit her lip.

"What's the matter with you?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Hermione slowly, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, isn't it?"

Ron sighed exasperatedly.

"It's the best broom there is, Hermione," he said.

"So it must've been really expensive..."

"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," said Ron happily.

"Well...who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they'd sent it?" said Hermione.

"Hermione." Johnnie said putting her arm around Hermione's shoulder. "Lighten up amiga. Our best friend here has got the best freaking broom in the entire fucking world!"

"This calls for a test drive!" Tess said. "Can I take it for a joyride? Can I?'"

"No." Harry said, gripping his broom as if it was a part of him

"No?" Tess asked, pouting her lip. "Why no?"

"I mean no." Harry retorted. "You wanna hear it in Spanish? _No_. And besides, you almost crashed my Nimbus once as you were "joyriding."

"No!" Tess mock exclaimed. "It wasn't me! It was Mrs. Norris!"

Harry almost choked on his own laughter. "Nice try, but no."

Ron made a cough and said, "Smacked." After earning a death glare from Tess, he said, "Tess is right Who cares? Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"

"I wanna turn too." Johnnie complained.

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Hermione shrilly.

Everyone looked at her.

"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it - sweep the floor?" said Ron.

"Not on our watch for a beautiful broom." Johnnie said.

But before Hermione could answer, Crookshanks sprang from Seamus's bed, right at Ron's chest.

"GET - HIM - OUT - OF - HERE!" Ron bellowed as Crookshanks's claws ripped his pajamas and Scabbers attempted a wild escape over his shoulder. Ron seized Scabbers by the tail and aimed a misjudged kick at Crookshanks that hit the trunk at the end of Harry's bed, knocking it over and causing Ron to hop up and down, howling with pain.

Crookshanks's fur suddenly stood on end. A shrill, tinny, whistling was filling the room. The Pocket Sneakoscope had become dislodged from Uncle Vernon's old socks and was whirling and gleaming on the floor.

"I forgot about that!" Harry said, bending down and picking up the Sneakoscope. "I never wear those socks if I can help it..."

The Sneakoscope whirled and whistled in his palm. Crookshanks was hissing and spitting at it.

"You'd better take that cat out of here, Hermione," said Ron furiously, sitting on Harry's bed nursing his toe. "Can't you shut that thing up?" he added to Harry as Hermione strode out of the room, Crookshanks's yellow eyes still fixed maliciously on Ron.

Harry stuffed the Sneakoscope back inside the socks and threw it back into his trunk. All that could be heard now were Ron's stifled moans of pain and rage. Scabbers was huddled in Ron's hands. It had been a while since Harry had seen him out of Ron's pocket, and he was unpleasantly surprised to see that Scabbers, once so fat, was now very skinny; patches of fur seemed to have fallen out too.

"He's not looking too good, is he?" Harry said.

"Think he might be coming down with something?" Tess asked.

"It's stress!" said Ron. "He'd be fine if that big stupid furball left him alone!"

But Harry, remembering what the woman at the Magical Menagerie had said about rats living only three years, couldn't help feeling that unless Scabbers had powers he had never revealed, he was reaching the end of his life. And despite Ron's frequent complaints that Scabbers was both boring and useless, he was sure Ron would be very miserable if Scabbers died.

Christmas spirit was definitely thin on the ground in the Gryffindor common room that morning. Hermione had shut Crookshanks in her dormitory, but was furious with Ron for trying to kick him; Ron was still fuming about Crookshanks's fresh attempt to eat Scabbers. Harry and The Crosswells gave up trying to make them talk to each other and Harry devoted himself to examining the Firebolt, which he had brought down to the common room with him. For some reason this seemed to annoy Hermione as well; she didn't say anything, but she kept looking darkly at the broom as though it too had been criticizing her cat.

At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again, and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather moldy-looking tailcoat. There were only three other students, two extremely nervous-looking first years and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth year.

"Merry Christmas!" said Dumbledore as Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables...Sit down, sit down!"

Harry, Ron, Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione sat down side by side at the end of the table.

"Crackers!" said Dumbledore enthusiastically, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witches hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Harry, remembering the Boggart, caught Ron's eye and they both grinned; Snape's mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard's hat at once.

"Dig in!" he advised the table, beaming around.

As Harry was helping himself to roast potatoes, the doors of the Great Hall opened again. It was Professor Trelawney, gliding toward them as though on wheels. She had put on a green sequined dress in honor of the occasion, making her look more than ever like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.

"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" said Dumbledore, standing up.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," said Professor Trelawney in her mistiest, most faraway voice, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness..."

"Certainly, certainly," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "Let me draw you up a chair -"

And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawney, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream.

"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

Tess rolled her eyes at that. She knew that the 13 myth was just a rumor.

"We'll risk it, Sibyll," said Professor McGonagall impatiently. "Do sit down, the turkey's getting stone cold."

Professor Trelawney hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.

"Tripe, Sibyll?"

Professor Trelawney ignored her. Eyes open again, she looked around once more and said, "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," said Dumbledore, indicating that everybody should start serving themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?" said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.

Professor Trelawney gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.

"Certainly I knew, Minerva," she said quietly. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."

"That explains a great deal," said Professor McGonagall tartly.

Professor Trelawney's voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.

"If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him -"

"Imagine that," said Professor McGonagall dryly.

"I doubt," said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape.

"Good," said Dumbledore. "Then he should be up and about in no time...Mr. Derek Hale, have you had any of the chipolatas? They're excellent."

The first-year boy went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore, and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.

Professor Trelawney behaved almost normally until the very end of Christmas dinner, two hours later. Full to bursting with Christmas dinner and still wearing their cracker hats, Harry, Johnnie, and Ron got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.

"My dears! Which of you left his seat first? Which?"

"Dunno," said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry.

"I doubt it will make much difference," said Professor McGonagall coldly, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall."

Even Ron laughed. Professor Trelawney looked highly affronted.

.

"Coming?" Harry said to Hermione.

"No," Hermione muttered. "I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall."

"Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes," yawned Ron as they make their way into the Entrance Hall, which was completely devoid of mad axe-men.

When they reached the portrait hole they found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas part with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor toasted them with a flagon of mead.

"Merry - hic - Christmas! Password?"

"Scurvy cur," said Ron.

"And the same to you, sir! roared Sir Cadogan, as the painting swung forward to admit them.

"Yep." Tess said. "He's high." Johnnie only sniggered.

Harry went straight up to the dormitory, collected his Firebolt and the Broomstick Servicing Kit Hermione had given him for his birthday, brought them downstairs and tried to find something to do with the Firebolt; however, there were no bent twigs to clip, and the handle was so shiny already it seemed pointless to polish it. He and Ron simply sat admiring it from every angle, until the portrait hole opened, and Hermione came in, accompanied by Professor McGonagall.

Though Professor McGonagall was Head of Gryffindor House, Harry had only seen her in the common room once before, and that had been to make a very grave announcement. He and Ron stared at her, both holding the Firebolt. Hermione walked around them, sat down, picked up the nearest book and hid her face behind it.

"So that's it, is it?" said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolt. "Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter."

Harry and Ron looked around at Hermione. They could see her forehead reddening over the top of her book, which was upside-down.

Tess who was on the sofa, scoffed at Hermione's failed attempt to act normal.

"May I?" said Professor McGonagall, but she didn't wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolt out of their hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. "Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"

"No," said Harry blankly.

"I see..." said Professor McGonagall. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter."

"W - what?" said Harry, scrambling to his feet. "Why?"

"It's just a broomstick!" Johnnie exclaimed.

"It will need to be checked for jinxes," said Professor McGonagall. "Of course, I'm no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down -"

"Strip it down?" repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad.

"Why?" Tess asked. "I don't see anything wrong with it other than it's gloriousness."

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," said Professor McGonagall sternly at Tess. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."

"There's nothing wrong with it!" said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. "Honestly, Professor -"

"You can't know that, Potter," said Professor McGonagall, quite kindly, "not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed."

Professor McGonagall turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her, the tin of High-Finish Polish still clutched in his hands. Ron, however, rounded on Hermione.

"What the hell? What did you go running to McGonagall for?"

Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.

"Because I thought - and Professor McGonagall agrees with me - that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"


	31. Chapter 31

Harry knew that Hermione had meant well, but that didn't stop him from being angry with her. He had been the owner of the best broom in the world for a few short hours, and now, because of her interference, he didn't know whether he would ever see it again. He was positive that there was nothing wrong with the Firebolt now, but what sort of state would it be in once it had been subjected to all sorts of anti-jinx tests?

Ron was furious with Hermione too. As far as he was concerned, the stripping-down of a brand-new Firebolt was nothing less than criminal damage. Hermione, who remained convinced that she had acted for the best, started avoiding the common room. Harry and Ron supposed she had taken refuge in the library and didn't try to persuade her to come back. All in all, they were glad when the rest of the school returned shortly after New Year, and Gryffindor Tower became crowded and noisy again. Wood sought Harry out on the night before term started.

Tess was also mad at Hermione not only for taking away a "glorious broom" but for "being a wimp" and going to the teacher and not keeping her mouth shut.

"Had a good Christmas?" Oliver Wood said one practice, and then, without waiting for an answer, he sat down, lowered his voice, and said, "I've been, doing some thinking over Christmas, Harry. After last match, you know. If the Dementors come to the next one...I mean...we can't afford you or Tess to - well -"

Wood broke off, looking awkward.

"I'm working on it," said Harry quickly. "Professor Lupin said he'd train me and Tess to ward off the Dementors. We should be starting this week. He said he'd have time after Christmas."

"Ah," said Wood, his expression clearing. "Well, in that case - I really didn't want to lose you as Seeker, Harry. And have you ordered a new broom yet?"

"No," said Harry.

"What! You'd better get a move on, you know - you can't ride that Shooting Star against Ravenclaw!"

"He got a Firebolt for Christmas," said Ron.

"A Firebolt? No! Seriously? A - a real Firebolt?"

"Don't get excited, Oliver," said Harry gloomily. "I haven't got it anymore. It was confiscated." And he explained all about how the Firebolt was now being checked for jinxes.

"Jinxed? How could it be jinxed?"

"Sirius Black," Harry said wearily. "He's supposed to be after me. So McGonagall reckons he might have sent it."

Waving aside the information that a famous murderer was after his Seeker, Wood said, "But Black couldn't have bought a Firebolt! He's on the run! The whole country's on the lookout for him! How could he just walk into Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broomstick?"

"I know," said Harry, "but McGonagall still wants to strip it down -"

Wood went pale.

"I'll go and talk to her, Harry," he promised. "I'll make her see reason...A Firebolt...a real Firebolt, on our team ...She wants Gryffindor to win as much as we do...I'll make her see sense. A Firebolt..."

Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire full of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white-hot logs. The first Divination lesson of the new term was much less fun; Professor Trelawney was now teaching them palmistry, and she lost no time in informing Harry that he had the shortest life line she had ever seen.

It was Defense Against the Dark Arts that Harry was keen to get to; after his conversation with Wood, he wanted to get started on his anti-Dementor lessons as soon as possible. And Tess still couldn't wait to kick their asses.

"Ah yes," said Lupin, when Harry and Trss reminded him of his promise at the end of class. "Let me see...how about noon on Saturday for Harry and 3 o clock for Tess? The Astronomy Tower should be large enough...I'll have to think carefully about how we're going to do this..."

"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" said Ron as they walked down the corridor, heading to dinner. "What d'you reckon's the matter with him?"

Tess shrugged her shoulders but she was really worried for him. _Was being ill a side effect from being a werewolf?_ She wondered.

There was a loud and impatient "tuh" from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armor, repacking her bag, which was so full of books it wouldn't close.

"And what are you tutting at us for?" said Ron irritably.

"Nothing," said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag back over her shoulder.

"Yes, you were," said Ron. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you -"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority.

"Hermione." said Tess. "If Lupin wanted us to know why he's sick, he would have told us."

"Do **you** know something?" Harry asked her.

"No." She lied. "But I'm just saying, how Lupin gets sick and what he gets sick with, is **none** of our business. Let's just leave it alone and hope he's ok."

"Fine," said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off.

"She doesn't know," said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. "She's just trying to get us to talk to her again." Harry agreed although he suspected that Tess was hiding something. Then again, he had to give her credit for respecting Lupin's privacy.

At 3 on Saturday afternoon, Tess left Gryffindor Tower for the History of Magic classroom. On the way, Harry looked tired but grinning. He wished her luck and told her that she was going to be fine. It was bright and empty when she arrived, but she lit the skeletal lamps with her wand and had waited only five minutes when Professor Lupin turned up, carrying a large packing case, which he heaved onto the floor..

"Ah," said Lupin, stripping off his cloak. "There you are. Are you sure about this Quintessa? This is highly advanced magic, well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level."

"Let's do it." said Tess, gripping her wand with determination. "I'm ready when you are."

"So..." Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated that Harry should do the same. "The spell I am is called the Patronus Charm. Have you heard of it?"

"My cousin did mention it once." said Tess.

"Well, when it works correctly, It conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "which is a kind of anti-Dementor - a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the Dementor."

"Oh, so it's like the Riddikulus charm." said Tess. "Only it's without laughter and it's a defense mechanism. Right"

Professor Lupin continued, "You're on the right track, Quintessa. The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon - hope, happiness, the desire to survive - but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Tess, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"What does a Patronus look like?" said Tess curiously. "A giant force field."

"Not really. It takes a shape of some sort, usually an animal. Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."

"And how does one conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

Tess cast her mind about for a happy memory while raising her wand. She had some options but couldn't decide then. Finally, she settled on the moment when she saw Hogwarts for the first time.

"Right," she said, trying to recall as exactly as possible the wonder and awe of her stomach.

"The incantation is this -" Lupin cleared his throat. "Expecto patronum!"

"Expecto patronum," Tess repeated under her breath, "expecto patronum."

"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?"

"Yeah" said Tess focusing on that emotion. "Expecto patrona - no, patronum - my bad - expecto patronum, expecto patronum"

Something whooshed suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like a wisp of golden gas.

"Did anyone else see that but me?" said Tess in awe. "I think I'm getting it!"

 _That's odd._ Lupin thought. _I've never seen a Patronus being gold before._ "Very good," He said, smiling. "Right, then - ready to try it?"

"Let's do it." Tess said, gripping her wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted tower. She tried to keep her mind on that night, but something else kept intruding...Any second now, she might hear the explosion again...but she shouldn't think that, or she would hear it again, and she didn't want to.

Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.

A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The Dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over him -

"Expecto patronum!" Tess yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto -"

But the classroom and the Dementor were dissolving...Harry was falling again through thick white fog, and the explosion voice was louder than ever, echoing inside her head. She could even feel the hit of the lamp as she passed out. "Quintessa!"

Tess jerked back to life. She was lying flat on her back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. She didn't have to ask what had happened.

"Sorry," she muttered, sitting up and feeling cold sweat trickling down her face.

"Are you all right?" said Lupin soothingly. "Here have some chocolate." Eat this before we try again. I didn't expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been astounded if you had."

"That's one nasty Dementor" Tess muttered, biting off the chocolate.

"Oh no." He said. "That was a Boggart, Tess, a Boggart. I've been combing the castle ever since Tuesday, and very luckily, I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's filing cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor. The Boggart will turn into a Dementor when he sees you, so we'll be able to practice on him. I can store him in my office when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like." After that sentence, he started to get worried for her. "Quintessa, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand -"

"I do!" said Tess fiercely, stuffing the rest of the chocolate into her mouth. "I'm not giving up. Not now. If these Dementors even show up within 3 feet of me, I wanna be ready to show no mercy!"

"All right then..." said Lupin. "You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on...That one doesn't seem to have been strong enough...What was it?"

"The first night I came to Hogwarts."

"Not a bad choice but as you saw, it's not enough." He said.

Tess thought hard and decided her feelings when Gryffindor had won the House Championship last year had definitely qualified as very happy. She gripped his wand tightly again and took up his position in the middle of the classroom.

"Ready?" said Lupin, gripping the box lid.

"Ready," said Tess; trying hard to fill her head with happy thoughts about Gryffindor winning, and not dark thoughts about what was going to happen when the box opened.

"Go!" said Lupin, pulling off the lid. The room went icily cold and dark once more. The Dementor glided forward, drawing its breath; one rotting hand was extending toward Tess -

"Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto Pat -"

White fog obscured her senses...big, blurred shapes were moving around him...then the explosion…

"Quintessa! Quintessa...wake up..."

Lupin was tapping Tess hard on the face. This time it was a minute before Harry understood why he was lying on a dusty classroom floor.

"Not again." She said.

"You sure you don't want to stop?" Lupin asked.

"Let's keep going." She said.

It was about at least 6 times, Tess trying and failing and falling. She was exhausted, tired to the bone, but she did not care. She had to keep going. She couldn't give up. She had to keep fighting.

"Listen, Tess - perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced...I shouldn't have suggested putting you through this… Harry's getting there."

"No!" said Tess. She got up again. "So Harry got it, big deal. I want to be able to get it for myself. You know Thomas Edison tried and failed nearly 2,000 times to make a lightbulb."

"What does a Muggle man have to do with any of this?"

"When he was asked about it, he said, 'I didn't fail. I found out 2,000 how not to make a lightbulb.' But he needed one way to make it work. I'll have one more go. I'm not thinking of happy enough things, that's what it is...hang on..."

She racked her brains. A really, really happy memory...one that she could turn into a good, strong Patronus...

The walk she had with Draco. He made her feel happy, more than she had ever been! If that wasn't a happy memory, she didn't know what was...Concentrating very hard on how she had felt when she had that snow brawl with him, Tess got to his feet and faced the packing case once more.

"Ready?" said Lupin, who looked as though he were doing this against his better judgment. "Concentrating hard? All right - go!"

He pulled off the lid of the case for the third time, and the Dementor rose out of it; the room fell cold and dark -

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Tess shouted.

The booming inside Tess' head had started again - except this time, it sounded as though it were coming from a badly tuned radio - softer and louder and softer again...and she could still see the Dementor...it had halted...and then a huge, golden shadow came bursting out of the end of Tess' wand, to hover between her and the Dementor, and though Harry's legs felt like jello, she was still on his feet - though for how much longer, she wasn't sure...

"Riddikulus!" roared Lupin, springing forward.

There was a loud crack, and Tess' cloudy Patronus vanished along with the Dementor; she sank into a chair, feeling as exhausted as if she'd just run a marathon, and felt her legs shaking. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Professor Lupin forcing the Boggart back into the packing case with his wand; it had turned into a silvery orb again. Although Tess could tell with her knowledge of Lupin's condition that it was probably something to do with it.

"Excellent!" Lupin said, striding over to where Harry sat. "Most excellent, Quintessa! That was definitely a start!"

"I never say this but I'm calling it."

"Yes." said Lupin firmly. "You've had enough for one night. Here -"

He handed Tess a large bar of Honeydukes' best chocolate.

"Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. Same time next week?"

"Sure," said Tess. She took a bite of the chocolate and looked into the wall, Lupin stroking her back like a father with his child.

"Can I ask you what memory did you think of?" Lupin asked.

"If I tell you." said Tess. "Would you promise not to go after anybody, even a Slytherin and you know...tear them to pieces?"

Luin stiffened but he calmed down. "Is it a boy?"

"Yes." said Tess after a minute. "Before Christmas Vay-cay, he took me on a walk during our Hogsmeade visit. We were just talking and..we got into a snow wrestle." She chuckled. "God it was fun as hell. I don't know if it was just a one day feeling, but it's the happiest I've ever felt."

"And who is this...lucky boy?"

She turned to him, purple eyes meeting hazel. "Remus, here's the truth: I mercilessly pick on Draco's greasy oily hair, because I like him."


	32. Chapter 32

The bell rang one afternoon, signaling the end of the Occlumency lesson for the seventh years. As Lupin called out, reminding them of their homework, one of the seventh years stayed behind.

"Professor?" Johnnie asked the werewolf. "Can I see you in your office?"

"Sure." He said. He led him in, but Johnnie said no to tea and got right to the point.

"Professor I just have a couple of questions." said Johnnie.

"Of course." said Lupin.

"Why didn't you tell me that you went to school with Sirius Black?" Lupin stiffened and looked around, trying to rack his brain for an excuse.

"I was friends with Black, when I was friends with your aunt. So…"

"So why did Narcissa Malfoy pay her a million dollars?"

Lupin pinched his nose. "Johnnie this is not the time."

"Um Remus." Lupin glared at the young man for using his first name. "I looked him up, through the school yearbooks. He's got a lot of photos in there with my aunt Morgan. Not to mention Tess, she's about as old as that check is."

"Johnnie." Lupin warned.

"When I saw you talking with Tess." Johnnie continued. "I knew, something was bothering you and that it wasn't your lycanthropy." Lupin stared at him wide eyed. He didn't expect Johnnie to remember something like his encounter with him. He was only 3 when he first met him in his other form. "And now it makes sense. Black is Tess' dad isn't he?"

Lupin at that moment, gave up on any lie he could think of to distract the boy. He then could see he was related to Morgan Crosswell. "Yes he is."

"Why haven't you told anyone?"

"Because when you were a small boy, Morgan made me promise not to tell your cousin until she was old enough to understand."

"God." said Johnnie. "That is brutal. Are you ok?"

"Yes.. well." Lupin fumbled. "You find out about my condition..you haven't told anyone have you?"

"No."

"Now that you know...and you bring up the check when now that I'm in this position, I'm left to think, how can I make a relationship with my goddaughter if there is this lie between us?"

"Don't think of it as a lie." said Johnnie. "It's as a promise you're keeping to your best friend and the mother of your godchild."

"Still, it doesn't make it right Johnnie." Lupin retorted.

"Look it at Morgan's perspective." said Johnnie. "As far as Tess knows, her father was a playboy who slept with a bunch of women, and got her pregnant."

"He's not that person anymore." said Lupin.

"No now he's an escaped convict, a certified whackjob, and a fugitive." said Johnnie. "Anyone who comes into his life is automatically at risk with the government. Can you honestly say that Morgan wasn't wrong to try to not raise her own child in a normal life without knowing that her father was a madman and that she comes from a bigoted family line, that goes against everything she believes in? Do you not see her interacting with Malfoy, although I wish she wouldn't but that's because he's a boy. What Aunt Morgan asked you to do, as hard as it may be, it is the **right** thing to do. I know how badly you want to tell Tess, and trust me, I don't want to keep secrets from my own cousin, but until Black is caught, you have got to do the right thing for your goddaughter. As hard as this may be, keeping this from Tess is keeping her safe."

But when he got down to the Great Hall for lunch, he was pulled aside into a broom closet by Harry, Ron and Hermione. It was then, Harry told Johnnie what happened to his father.

" **WHAT?!** " He screamed, thankful that Hermione cast a Silencing Charm on the door. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME BLACK MURDERED MY DAD?!" He hit the wall and let a few tears of anger slide down his face. His own cousin's father was the reason he grew up without one so of course he was mad.

"Johnnie." Hermione laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I hope he crosses my path." Johnnie snarled, his brown eyes alight with rage. "Cause when he does, I'm gonna be ready. When he does, I'm gonna kill him!"


	33. Chapter 33

Unfortunately, just when Ron and Hermione's pet feud couldn't sink any deeper, Ron had found his sheets soaked with what could only by Scabber's blood. It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Harry couldn't see how they'd ever make up.

Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie.

Personally, Harry was sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, and when he tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way, she lost her temper with Harry too.

"Okay, side with Ron, I knew you would!" she said shrilly. "First the Firebolt, now Scabbers, everything's my fault, isn't it! Just leave me alone, Harry, I've got a lot of work to do!"

Tess did her best to try to reason with Hermione, and she couldn't get the brains of the Golden Quartet to change her mind. Ron was almost the same, even with the bribery of food.

Johnnie was asked once but he declined saying, "Hey, it's your problem, so Ron and Hermione should fix it themselves."

Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed.

"Come on, Ron, you were always saying how boring Scabbers was," said Fred bracingly. "And he's been off-color for ages, he was wasting away. It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly - one swallow - he probably didn't feel a thing."

"Fred!" said Ginny indignantly.

"All he did was eat and sleep, Ron, you said it yourself," said George.

"He bit Goyle for us once!" Ron said miserably. "Remember, Harry?"

"Yeah, that's true," said Harry.

"Ah yes." said Tess. "That time in the hall." She wiped a fake tear. "The Holy Moment."

"His finest hour," said Fred, unable to keep a straight face. "Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory. Oh, come on, Ron, get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat, what's the point of moaning?"

In a last-ditch attempt to cheer Ron up, Harry persuaded him to come along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match, so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they'd finished. Speaking of which, after constant begging, McGonagall gave into Harry and gave him back his Firebolt, which was jinx-free. He was of course relieved about this. This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment ("Great! Can I try and shoot a few goals on it?") so they set off for the Quidditch field together.

Madam Hooch, who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry, was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been. She took it in her hands before takeoff and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion.

"Look at the balance on it! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it's a slight list to the tail end - you often find they develop a drag after a few years. They've updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows - a pity they've stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and a very fine old broom it was too..."

She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood said, "Er - Madam Hooch? Is it okay if Harry has the Firebolt back? We need to practice..."

"Oh - right - here you are, then, Potter," said Madam Hooch. "I'll sit over here with Weasley..."

She and Ron left the field to sit in the stadium, and the Gryffindor team gathered around Wood for his final instructions for tomorrow's match.

"Harry, I've just found out who Ravenclaw is playing as Seeker. It's Cho Chang. She's a fourth year, and she's pretty good...I really hoped she wouldn't be fit, she's had some problems with injuries..." Wood scowled his displeasure that Cho Chang had made a full recovery, then said, "On the other hand, she rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt." He gave Harry's broom a look of fervent admiration, then said, "Okay, everyone, let's go -"

And at long last, Harry mounted his Firebolt, and kicked off from the ground.

It was better than he'd ever dreamed. The Firebolt turned with the lightest touch; it seemed to obey his thoughts rather than his grip; it sped across the field at such speed that the stadium turned into a green-and-gray blur; Harry turned it so sharply that Alicia Spinnet screamed, then he went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy field with his toes before rising thirty, forty, fifty feet into the air again -

"Harry, I'm letting the Snitch out!" Wood called.

Harry turned and raced a Bludger toward the goal posts; he outstripped it easily, saw the Snitch dart out from behind Wood, and within ten seconds had caught it tightly in his hand.

The team cheered madly. Harry let the Snitch go again, gave it a minute's head start, then tore after it, weaving in and out of the others; he spotted it lurking near Katie Bell's knee, looped her easily, and caught it again.

It was the best practice ever; the team, inspired by the presence of the Firebolt in their midst, performed their best moves faultlessly, and by the time they hit the ground again, Wood didn't have a single criticism to make, which, as George Weasley pointed out, was a first.

"I can't see what's going to stop us tomorrow!" said Wood. "Not unless - Harry, Tess you've both sorted out your Dementor problem, haven't you?"

"Yeah," said Harry, thinking of his feeble Patronus and wishing it were stronger with Tess nodding.

"The Dementors won't turn up again, Oliver. Dumbledore'd go ballistic," said Fred confidently.

"Well, let's hope not," said Wood. "Anyway - good work, everyone. Let's get back to the tower...turn in early..."

"I'm staying out for a bit; Ron wants a go on the Firebolt," Harry told Wood, and while the rest of the team headed off to the locker rooms, Harry strode over to Ron, who vaulted the barrier to the stands and came to meet him. Madam Hooch had fallen asleep in her seat.

"Here you go," said Harry, handing Ron the Firebolt.

Ron, an expression of ecstasy on his face, mounted the broom and zoomed off into the gathering darkness while Harry walked around the edge of the field, watching him. Night had fallen before Madam Hooch awoke with a start, told Harry and Ron off for not waking her, and insisted that they go back to the castle.

Harry shouldered the Firebolt and he and Ron walked out of the shadowy stadium, discussing the Firebolt's superbly smooth action, it's phenomenal acceleration, and its pinpoint turning. They were halfway toward the castle when Harry, glancing to his left, saw something that made his heart turn over - a pair of eyes, gleaming out of the darkness.

Harry stopped dead, his heart banging against his ribs.

"What's the matter?" said Ron.

Harry pointed. Ron pulled out his wand and muttered, "Lumos!"

A beam of light fell across the grass, hit the bottom of a tree, and illuminated its branches; there, crouching among the budding leaves, was Crookshanks.

"Get out of here!" Ron roared, and he stooped down and seized a stone lying on the grass, but before he could do anything else, Crookshanks had vanished with one swish of his long ginger tail.

"See?" Ron said furiously, chucking the stone down again. "She's still letting him wander about wherever he wants - probably washing down Scabbers with a couple of birds now..."

Harry didn't say anything. He took a deep breath as relief seeped through him; he had been sure for a moment that those eyes had belonged to the Grim. They set off for the castle once more. slightly ashamed of his moment of panic, Harry didn't say anything to Ron - nor did he look left or right until they had reached the well lit entrance hall.

Harry went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the boys in his dormitory, all of whom seemed to think the Firebolt deserved a sort of guard of honor. As Harry entered the Great Hall, heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt, and there was a good deal of excited muttering. Harry saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.

"Did you see his face?" said Ron gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. "He can't believe it! This is brilliant!"

Wood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt.

"Put it here, Harry," he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upward. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, and Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt.

"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely. "Penelope and I have got a bet on," he told the team. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!"

Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry, and went back to her table.

"Harry - make sure you win," said Percy, in an urgent whisper. "I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he bustled off to join her in a piece of toast.

"Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?" said a cold, drawling voice.

Draco Malfoy had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.

"Yeah, reckon so," said Harry casually.

"Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" said Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute - in case you get too near a Dementor."

Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.

"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," said Harry. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."

The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed, and he stalked away. They watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry's broom really was a Firebolt.

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor team set off for the locker rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and Harry, though nervous, was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring. They could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. Harry took off his black school robes, removed his wand from his pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt he was going to wear under his Quidditch robes. He only hoped he wouldn't need it. He wondered suddenly whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching.

"You know what we've got to do," said Wood as they prepared to leave the locker rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. just - just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"

"No pressure." Tess added.

They walked out onto the field to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the field. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and Harry couldn't help noticing, nervous as he was, that she was extremely pretty. She smiled at Harry as the teams faced each other behind their captains, and he felt a slight lurch in the region of his stomach that he didn't think had anything to do with nerves. Tess scoffed at how smug she looked.

"Wood, Davies, shake hands," Madam Hooch said briskly, and Wood shook hands with the Ravenclaw Captain.

"Mount your brooms ... on my whistle ... three - two - one -"

Harry kicked off into the air and the Firebolt zoomed higher and faster than any other broom; he soared around the stadium and began squinting around for the Snitch, listening all the while to the commentary, which was being provided by the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan.

"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship -"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice.

"Right you are, Professor - just giving a bit of background information - the Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and -"

"Jordan!"

"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, heading for goal..."

"It's got an auto brake?" Johnnie asked a Gregory, a classmate. "Pinch me because I must be hearing things." While some of his Ravenclaw classmates sniggered and pinched him, only to get hit with a swat. "I just hope Chang wins. I've got 15 Knuts I am **not** giving up to Tess when we win."

"You mean, **if** we win, seeing that Firebolt in action." said Daniel.

"If." Johnnie pondered. "If is good."

Harry streaked past Katie in the opposite direction, gazing around for a glint of gold and noticing that Cho Chang was tailing him closely. She was undoubtedly a very good flier - she kept cutting across him, forcing him to change direction.

"Show her your acceleration, Harry!" Fred yelled as he whooshed past in pursuit of a Bludger that was aiming for Alicia.

"Harry!" Tess yelled passing the Quaffle to Katie. "Don't think I don't see that look! STAY FOCUSED!"

Harry urged the Firebolt forward as they rounded the Ravenclaw goal posts and Cho fell behind. Just as Katie succeeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, he saw it - the Snitch was close to the ground, flitting near one of the barriers.

Harry dived; Cho saw what he was doing and tore after him - Harry was speeding up, excitement flooding him; dives were his specialty, he was ten feet away -

Then a Bludger, hit by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters, came pelting out of nowhere; Harry veered off course, avoiding it by an inch, and in those few, crucial seconds, the Snitch had vanished.

There was a great "Ooooooh" of disappointment from the Gryffindor supporters, but much applause for their Beater from the Ravenclaw end. George Weasley vented his feelings by hitting the second Bludger directly at the offending Beater, who was forced to roll right over in midair to avoid it.

"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn - Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision - balance is really noticeable in these long -"

"JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

Ravenclaw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead - if Cho got the Snitch before him, Ravenclaw would win. Harry dropped lower, narrowly avoiding a Ravenclaw Chaser, scanning the field frantically - a glint of gold, a flutter of tiny wings - the Snitch was circling the Gryffindor goal post just as Tess scored...

Harry accelerated, eyes fixed on the speck of gold ahead - but just then, Cho appeared out of thin air, blocking him -

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood roared as Harry swerved to avoid a collision. "KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

Harry turned and caught sight of Cho; she was grinning. The Snitch had vanished again. Harry turned his Firebolt upward and was soon twenty feet above the game. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cho following him ...She'd decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herself...All right, then...if she wanted to tail him, she'd have to take the consequences...

He dived again, and Cho, thinking he'd seen the Snitch, tried to follow; Harry pulled out of the dive very sharply; she hurtled downward; he rose fast as a bullet once more, and then saw it, for the third time - the Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenclaw end.

He accelerated; so, many feet below, did Cho. He was winning, gaining on the Snitch with every second - then -

"Oh!" screamed Cho, pointing.

Distracted, Harry looked down.

Three Dementors, three tall, black, hooded Dementors, were looking up at him.

He didn't stop to think. Plunging a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and roared, "Expecto patronum!"

Something silver-white, something enormous, erupted from the end of his wand. He knew it had shot directly at the Dementors but didn't pause to watch; his mind still miraculously clear, he looked ahead - he was nearly there. He stretched out the hand still grasping his wand and just managed to close his fingers over the small, struggling Snitch.

Madam Hooch's whistle sounded. Harry turned around in midair and saw six scarlet blurs bearing down on him; next moment, the whole team was hugging him so hard he was nearly pulled off his broom. Down below he could hear the roars of the Gryffindors in the crowd.

"That's my boy!" Wood kept yelling. Angelina, and Katie had all kissed Harry; Fred had him in a grip so tight Harry felt as though his head would come off In complete disarray, the team managed to make its way back to the ground. Tess luaghed while hugging him so hard, Harry thought his back would break. Harry got off his broom and looked up to see a gaggle of Gryffindor supporters sprinting onto the field, Ron in the lead. Before he knew it, he had been engulfed by the cheering crowd. He could see Johnnie putting a handful of bronze Knuts in Tess' hand in the corner.

"Yes!" Ron yelled, yanking Harry's arm into the air. "Yes! Yes!"

"That's how you do it!" Tess yelled. "THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE!"

"Not bad kiddo!" Johnnie said, although still feeling defeated.

"Well done, Harry!" said Percy, looking delighted. "Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me -"

"Good for you, Harry!" roared Seamus Finnigan.

"Ruddy brilliant!" boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.

"That was quite some Patronus," said a voice in Harry's ear.

Harry turned around to see Professor Lupin, who looked both shaken and pleased.

"The Dementors didn't affect me at all!" Harry said excitedly. "I didn't feel a thing!"

"That would be because they - er - weren't Dementors," said Professor Lupin.

"Not Dementors?" Johnnie asked, pushing his way through the crowd. "How can Dementors not be Dementors?"

"Come and see - " He led the boys out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field. "You gave Mr. Malfoy quite a fright," said Lupin.

Harry stared.

"No. Fucking. Way." Johnnie breathed while trying not to laugh.

Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground were Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle's shoulders. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall.

"An unworthy trick!" she was shouting. "A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!"

If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor's victory, it was this. Ron, who had fought his way through to Harry's side, doubled up with laughter as they watched Malfoy fighting to extricate himself from the robe, Goyle's head still stuck inside it.

"Come on, Harry!" said Tess, fighting her way over. "Party! Gryffindor common room, now!"

"Right," said Harry, and feeling happier than he had in ages, he and the rest of the team led the way, still in their scarlet robes, out of the stadium and back up to the castle.

It felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.

"How did you do that?" squealed Angelina Johnson as George started throwing Peppermint Toads into the crowd.

"With a little help from Moony, Wormtail, Phoenix, Padfoot, and Prongs," Fred muttered in Harry's ear.

Tess had a suspicion that this Phoenix character had something to do with her mother but she or Harry couldn't help but notice something strange about the familiarity between the name on the map and Padfoot the Pet.

Only one person wasn't joining in the festivities. Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles. Harry broke away from the table where Fred and George had started juggling butterbeer bottles and went over to her.

"Did you even come to the match?" he asked her.

"Of course I did," said Hermione in a strangely high-pitched voice, not looking up. "And I'm very glad we won, and I think you did really well, but I need to read this by Monday."

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione" said Tess, sitting down next to her. "I know you're stressed but we just kicked some retching Ravenclaw ass. This is a PARTY! WHOOO!"

"Thanks but no thanks." Hermione said.

Tess, still wanting to cheer her friend up, pushed the book out of Hermione's hands and lifted her out of the chair. "It's Party Time! P-A-R-T, why? Because ya need to!"

"I can't, Tess. I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!" said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. "Anyway..." She glanced over at Ron too. "He doesn't want me to join in."

There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been eaten, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them -"

Hermione burst into tears. Before Harry could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls' dormitories and out of sight. Tess gave Ron a deluxe glare that reminded Harry of Voldemort.

"You're a dick Weasley. You know that?" She then ran up to comfort her friend.

"Can't you give her a break?" Harry asked Ron quietly.

"No," said Ron flatly. "If she just acted like she was sorry - but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."

Meanwhile in the Ravenclaw Tower, everyone was half moping and half somewhat hopeful that they would do better, when a certain American wizard came running down in a panic and exclaiming, "Where's Padfoot? Has anyone seen my dog?"


	34. Chapter 34

The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one in the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. Harry and Ron climbed the stairs to their dormitory, still discussing the match. At last, exhausted, Harry climbed into bed, twitched the hangings of his four-poster shut to block out a ray of moonlight, lay back, and felt himself almost instantly drifting off to sleep...

Meanwhile, a man had crept in the girl's dormitory after shedding his disguise. He looked around, seeking the girl he had been looking for and to his great delight, found a girl with hair that was now almost white thanks to the moon, giving it a wintery look. He sat on the bed, pulling the covers over his daughter's head. He hung out with Tess as a dog, but never had the brief moment of being a father himself. Even if it was for one little minute.

"Don't worry, pup." said Black stroking Tess' head down to her cheek. "Papa's going to make everything better. I'm sorry for abandoning you."

Tess muttered in her sleep, "No, Aunt Sara, don't stress eat all the pizza, it's good." Sirius gave a stuffed chuckle and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you." He left, even though every fiber of him screamed to just hold his little girl in his arms and never let her go. But he had unfinished business to take care off…..

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Harry woke as suddenly as though he'd been hit in the face. Disoriented in the total darkness, he fumbled with his hangings, he could hear movements around him, and Seamus Finnigan's voice from the other side of the room.

"What's going on?"

Harry thought he heard the dormitory door slam. At last finding the divide in his curtains, he ripped them back, and at the same moment, Dean Thomas lit his lamp.

Ron was sitting up in bed, the hangings torn from one side, a look of utmost terror on his face.

"Black! Sirius Black! With a knife!"

"What?"

"Here! Just now! Slashed the curtains! Woke me up!"

"You sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?" said Dean.

"Look at the curtains! I tell you, he was here!"

They all scrambled out of bed; Harry reached the dormitory door first, and they sprinted back down the staircase. Doors opened behind them, and sleepy voices called after them.

"Who shouted?"

"What're you doing?"

The common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still littered with the debris from the party. It was deserted.

"Are you sure you weren't dreaming, Ron?"

"I'm telling you, I saw him!"

"What's all the noise?"

"Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!"

A few of the girls had come down their staircase, pulling on dressing gowns and yawning. Boys, too, were reappearing.

"Who was that?"

"Someone in this tower, disturbed my beauty sleep!"

"Excellent, are we carrying on?" said Fred Weasley brightly.

"Everyone back upstairs!" said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.

"Perce - Sirius Black!" said Ron faintly. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

The common room went very still.

"Nonsense!" said Percy, looking startled. "You had too much to eat, Ron - had a nightmare -"

"I'm telling you -"

"Now, really, enough's enough!"

Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.

"I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare -"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

Professor McGonagall stared at him.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw -"

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath. "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" cried Sir Cadogan.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

"You - you did?" said Professor McGonagall. "But - but the password!"

"He had 'em!" said Sir Cadogan proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.

"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.

Tess whispered only under her breath, the usual, "I'm in trouble" catchphrase, but she was saying it for Neville.

"Oh Crap."


	35. Chapter 35

No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night. They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell them that he had again escaped.

Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

Harry couldn't help noticing that the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor remained unguarded and unblocked. It seemed that Fred and George had been right in thinking that they - and now Harry, Tess, Johnnie, Ron, and Hermione - were the only ones who knew about the hidden passageway within it.

"D'you reckon we should tell someone?" Harry asked Ron.

"We know he's not coming in through Honeyduke's," said Ron dismissively. "We'd've heard if the shop had been broken into."

"And and no more sweets." Tess whimpered.

Harry was glad Ron took this view. If the one-eyed witch was boarded up too, he would never be able to go into Hogsmeade again.

Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. Though still severely shaken by the night's events, he was happy to tell anyone who asked what had happened, with a wealth of detail.

"... I was asleep, and I heard this ripping noise, and I thought it was in my dream, you know? But then there was this draft...I woke up and one side of the hangings on my bed had been pulled down...I rolled over...and I saw him standing over me...like a skeleton, with loads of filthy hair...holding this great long knife, must've been twelve inches...and he looked at me, and I looked at him, and then I yelled, and he scampered.

"Why, though?" Ron added to Harry as the group of second year girls who had been listening to his chilling tale departed. "Why did he run?"

Harry had been wondering the same thing. Why had Black, having got the wrong bed, not silenced Ron and proceeded to Harry? Black had proved twelve years ago that he didn't mind murdering innocent people, and this time he had been facing five unarmed boys, four of whom were asleep. And what if he hurt Tess? There was no way he was letting anything happen to her.

"He must've known he'd have a job getting back out of the castle once you'd yelled and woken people up," said Harry thoughtfully. "He'd've had to kill the whole house to get back through the portrait hole...then he would've met the teachers..."

"Well something's up." said Johnnie. "Because the night of the attack, my dog goes missing and then Gryffindor Tower's broken in. The same thing happened during the Fat Lady's fright and the Quidditch match."

"It's just a coincidence that's all." Ron said. "You think that your fluffy dog is a servant to Black?"

"I don't know." The American wizard said leaning in eye to eye with the dog. "But I'm keeping a close watch on this one."

Neville was in total disgrace. Professor McGonagall was so furious with him she had banned him from all future Hogsmeade visits, given him a detention, and forbidden anyone to give him the password into the tower. Poor Neville was forced to wait. outside the common room every night for somebody to let him in, while the security trolls leered unpleasantly at him. None of these punishments, however, came close to matching the one his grandmother had in store for him. Two days after Black's break-in, she sent Neville the very worst thing a Hogwarts student could receive over breakfast - a Howler.

The school owls swooped into the Great Hall carrying the mail as usual, and Neville choked as a huge barn owl landed in front of him, a scarlet envelope clutched in its beak. Harry and Ron, who were sitting opposite him, recognized the letter as a Howler at once - Ron had got one from his mother the year before.

"Run for it, Neville," Ron advised.

Neville didn't need telling twice. He seized the envelope, and holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the hall, while the Slytherin table exploded with laughter at the sight of him. They heard the Howler go off in the entrance hall - Neville's grandmother's voice, magically magnified to a hundred times its usual volume, shrieking about how he had brought shame on the whole family.

Tess was too busy feeling sorry for Neville to notice immediately that she had a letter too. Hedwig got her attention by nipping her sharply on the wrist.

"Ouch! Oh - thanks, Crucible."

Harry tore open the envelope while the midnight black owl helped herself to some of Neville's cornflakes. The note inside said:

Dear Harry and Ron,

How about having tea with me this afternoon 'round six? I'll come collect you from the castle. WAIT FOR ME IN THE ENTRANCE HALL; YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED OUT ON YOUR OWN.

Cheers,

Hagrid

"He probably wants to hear all about Black!" said Ron.

"Or he just wants to have a nice little chat." said Tess hopefully.

So at six o'clock that afternoon, Harry and Ron left Gryffindor Tower, passed the security trolls at a run, and headed down to the entrance hall.

Hagrid was already waiting for them.

"All right, Hagrid!" said Ron. "S'pose you want to hear about Saturday night, do you?"

"I've already heard all abou' it," said Hagrid, opening the front doors and leading them outside.

"Oh," said Ron, looking slightly put out.

The first thing they saw on entering Hagrid's cabin was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on top of Hagrid's patchwork quilt, his enormous wings folded tight to his body, enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets. Averting his eyes from this unpleasant sight, Harry saw a gigantic, hairy brown suit and a very horrible yellow-and-orange tie hanging from the top of Hagrid's wardrobe door.

"What are they for, Hagrid?" said Harry.

"Buckbeak's case against the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures," said Hagrid. "This Friday. Him an' me'll be goin' down ter London together. I've booked two beds on the Knight Bus..."

Harry felt a nasty pang of guilt. He had completely forgotten that Buckbeak's trial was so near, and judging by the uneasy look on Ron's face, he had too. They had also forgotten their promise about helping him prepare Buckbeak's defense; the arrival of the Firebolt had driven it clean out of their minds. Johnnie however was prepared to go all Karate Kid at the trial.

Hagrid poured them tea and offered them a plate of Bath buns but they knew better than to accept; they had had too much experience with Hagrid's cooking.

"I got somethin' ter discuss with you two," said Hagrid, sitting himself between them and looking uncharacteristically serious.

"What?" said Harry.

"Hermione," said Hagrid.

"What about her?" said Ron.

"She's in a righ' state, that's what. She's bin comin' down ter visit me a lot since Chris'mas. Bin feelin' lonely. Firs' yeh weren' talking to her because o' the Firebolt, now yer not talkin' to her because her cat -"

"¨She ate Scabbers!" Ron interjected angrily.

"Because her cat acted like all cats do," Hagrid continued doggedly. "She's cried a fair few times, yeh know. Goin' through a rough time at the moment. Bitten off more'n she can chew, if yeh ask me, all the work she's tryin' ter do. Still found time ter help me with Buckbeak's case, mind...She's found some really good stuff fer me...reckon he'll stand a good chance now..."

"Hagrid, we should've helped as well - sorry -" Harry began awkwardly.

"I'm not blamin' yeh!" said Hagrid, waving Harry's apology aside. "Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be getting' on with. I've seen yeh practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night - but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all."

Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks.

"Really upset, she was, when Black nearly stabbed yeh, Ron. She's got her heart in the right place, Hermione has, an' you two not talkin' to her -"

"If she'd just get rid of that cat, I'd speak to her again!" Ron said angrily. "But she's still sticking up for it! It's a maniac, and she won't hear a word against it!"

"Ah, well, people can be a bit stupid abou' their pets," said Hagrid wisely. Behind him, Buckbeak spat a few ferret bones onto Hagrid's pillow.

They spent the rest of their visit discussing Gryffindor's improved chances for the Quidditch Cup. At nine o'clock, Hagrid walked them back up to the castle.

A large group of people was bunched around the bulletin board when they returned to the common room.

"Hogsmeade, next weekend!" said Ron, craning over the heads to read the new notice. "What d'you reckon?" he added quietly to Harry as they went to sit down.

"Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passage into Honeydukes..." Harry said, even more quietly.

"Exactly!" said Johnnie. "As I always say, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade."

"In other words." said Tess. "Come with us." The Crosswells highfived each other.

"Harry!" said a voice in his right ear. Harry started and looked around at Hermione, who was sitting at the table right behind them and clearing a space in the wall of books that had been hiding her.

"Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again...I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!" said Hermione.

"Can you hear someone talking, Harry?" growled Ron, not looking at Hermione.

"Ron, how can you let him go with you? After what Sirius Black nearly did to you! I mean it, I'll tell -"

"So now you're trying to get Harry expelled!" said Ron furiously. "Haven't you done enough damage this year?"

"Hey Ron." Johnnie said. "Shut up."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but with a soft hiss, Crookshanks leapt onto her lap. Hermione took one frightened look at the expression on Ron's face, gathered up Crookshanks, and hurried away toward the girls' dormitories.

"So how about it?" Ron said to Harry as though there had been no interruption. "Come on, last time we went you didn't see anything. You haven't even been inside Zonko's yet!"

Harry looked around to check that Hermione was well out of earshot.

"Okay," he said. "But I'm taking the Invisibility Cloak this time."


	36. Chapter 36

On Saturday, after Harry got his map confiscated Johnnie came in looking down. He hadn't been able to represent Hagrid because he was "unqualified" but he still got the news. Hagrid had lost the case...and Buckbeack was to be excuted.

"He sent me this," Johnnie said, holding out the letter.

Harry took it. The parchment was damp, and enormous teardrops had smudged the ink so badly in places that it was very difficult to read.

Dear Johnnie,

We lost.

I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts. Execution date to be fixed.

Beaky has enjoyed London.

I won't forget all the help you gave us.

Hagrid

"They can't do this," said Harry. "They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous."

"Malfoy's dad's blackmailed the Committee into it," said Johnnie, wiping his eyes.

"You know what he's like." said Hermione. "They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope...Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah, it will," said Ron fiercely. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time, Hermione. I'll help."

"Oh, Ron!"

Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and broke down completely. Ron, looking quite terrified, patted her very awkwardly on the top of the head. Johnnie felt like chopped liver but he just felt happy that his friends were bonding again. Finally, Hermione drew away.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers..." she sobbed.

"Oh - well - he was old," said Ron, looking thoroughly relieved that she had let go of him. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."

The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Ron, Tess, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. Their only chance of talking to him was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

He seemed numb with shock at the verdict.

"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em..."

"There's still the appeal!" said Tess fiercely. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

They were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the class. Ahead they could see Malfoy, who was walking with Crabbe and Goyle, and kept looking back, laughing derisively.

"S'no good, Tess," said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that..."

The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. The third years had never had so much homework. Neville Longbottom seemed close to a nervous collapse, and he wasn't the only one.

"Call this a holiday!" Seamus Finnigan roared at the common room one afternoon. "The exams are ages away, what're they playing at?"

"Well that's what teachers are." said Tess. "They're servants to Satan, minus Lupin and McGonagall, and Sprout, and Flitwick, and Trelawney sort of."

But nobody had as much to do as Hermione. Even without Divination, she was taking more subjects than anybody else. She was usually last to leave the common room at night, first to arrive at the library the next morning; she had shadows like Lupin's under her eyes, and seemed constantly close to tears.

Ron with Johnnie's help had taken over responsibility for Buckbeak's appeal. When he wasn't doing his own work, he was poring over enormously thick volumes with names like The Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology and Fowl or Foul? A Study of Hippogriff Brutality. He was so absorbed, he even forgot to be horrible to Crookshanks.

Harry and Tess, meanwhile, had to fit in their homework around Quidditch practice every day, not to mention endless discussions of tactics with Wood and the rest of the team. The Gryffindor-Slytherin match would take place on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. This meant (as Wood constantly reminded his team) that they needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fell largely on Harry, because capturing the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points.

"So you must catch it only if we're more than fifty points up," Wood told Harry constantly. "Only if we're more than fifty points up, Harry, or we win the match but lose the Cup. You've got that, Haven't you? You must catch the Snitch only if we're -"

"I KNOW, OLIVER!" Harry yelled.

The whole of Gryffindor House was obsessed with the coming match. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley (Ron's second oldest brother) had been Seeker. But Harry doubted whether any of them, even Wood, wanted to win as much as he did. The enmity between Harry and Malfoy was at its highest point ever. Malfoy was still smarting about the mud-throwing incident in Hogsmeade and was even more furious that Harry had somehow wormed his way out of punishment. Harry hadn't forgotten Malfoy's attempt to sabotage him in the match against Ravenclaw, but it was the matter of Buckbeak that made him most determined to beat Malfoy in front of the entire school.

Never, in anyone's memory, had a match approached in such a highly charged atmosphere. By the time the holidays were over, tension between the two teams and their Houses was at the breaking point. A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears. And no, neither Tess or Johnnie had a hand assisting.

Harry was having a particularly bad time of it. He couldn't walk to class without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip him up; Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever he went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw him surrounded by people. Wood had given instructions that Harry should be accompanied everywhere he went, in case the Slytherins tried to put him out of action. The whole of Gryffindor House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so that it was impossible for Harry to get to classes on time because he was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd. Harry was more concerned for his Firebolt's safety than his own. When he wasn't flying it, he locked it securely in his trunk and frequently dashed back up to Gryffindor Tower at break times to check that it was still there.

Tess also had bodyguards, but it was mostly Padfoot who mysteriously had taken to accompanying Tess on his own. Any soul that Tess didn't like or know was traumatized forever by the dog's terrifying counterattack. Harry couldn't stand the sight of the dog because of the Grim thing even though Tess argued that there was nothing strange about the dog.

All usual pursuits were abandoned in the Gryffindor common room the night before the match. Even Hermione had put down her books.

"I can't work, I can't concentrate," she said nervously.

There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever. Oliver Wood was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself Angelina, Tess, and Katie were laughing at Fred's and George's jokes and strangely, the black dog was too, in his own, barking laughs. Harry was sitting with Ron and Hermione, removed from the center of things, trying not to think about the next day, because every time he did, he had the horrible sensation that something very large was fighting to get out of his stomach.

"You're going to be fine," Hermione told him, though she looked positively terrified.

"You've got a Firebolt!" said Ron.

"Yeah ..." said Harry, his stomach writhing.

"Harry." said Tess late in the night. "You suck at some things, but not at this."

It came as a relief when Wood suddenly stood up and yelled, "Team! Bed!"

Harry slept badly. First he dreamed that he had overslept, and that Wood was yelling, "Where were you? We had to use Neville instead!" Then he dreamed that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons. He was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of flames from Malfoy's steed's mouth, when he realized he had forgotten his Firebolt. He fell through the air and woke with a start.

It was a few seconds before Harry remembered that the match hadn't taken place yet, that he was safe in bed, and that the Slytherin team definitely wouldn't be allowed to play on dragons. He was feeling very thirsty. Quietly as he could, he got out of his four-poster and went to pour himself some water from the silver jug beneath the window.

The grounds were still and quiet. No breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest; the Whomping Willow was motionless and innocent-looking. It looked as though the conditions for the match would be perfect.

Harry set down his goblet and was about to turn back to his bed when something caught his eye. An animal of some kind was prowling across the silvery lawn.

Harry dashed to his bedside table, snatched up his glasses, and put them on, then hurried back to the window. It couldn't be the Grim - not now - not right before the match -

He peered out at the grounds again and, after a minute's frantic searching, spotted it. It was skirting the edge of the forest now...It wasn't the Grim at all ... it was a cat ... Harry clutched the window ledge in relief as he recognized the bottlebrush tail. It was only Crookshanks…

The next day, he noticed Tess looking very shaken. "Hey. You ok?"

"Yeah." She said. "Just a little nervous."

"Come on." He offered his hand like a brother comforting his sister.

Harry standing right next to Tess and the rest of the Gryffindor team entered the Great Hall the next day to enormous applause. They couldn't help grinning broadly as they saw that both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were applauding them too. The Slytherin table hissed loudly as they passed. Harry noticed that Malfoy looked even paler than usual, although he smiled at Tess.

Wood spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself. Then he hurried them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions. As they left the Great Hall, everyone applauded again.

"Good luck, Harry!" called Cho. Harry felt himself blushing.

"Okay - no wind to speak of - sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it - ground's fairly hard, good, that'll give us a fast kickoff -"

Wood paced the field, staring around with the team behind him. Finally, they saw the front doors of the castle open in the distance and the rest of the school spilling onto the lawn.

"Locker rooms," said Wood tersely.

None of them spoke as they changed into their scarlet robes. Harry wondered if they were feeling like he was: as though he'd eaten something extremely wriggly for breakfast. In what seemed like no time at all, Wood was saying, "Okay, it's time, let's go -"

They walked out onto the field to a tidal wave of noise. Three quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, waving scarlet flags with the Gryffindor lion upon them, or brandishing banners with slogans like "GO GRYFFINDOR!" and "LIONS FOR THE CUP" Behind the Slytherin goal posts, however, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their flags, and Professor Snape sat in the very front row, wearing green like everyone else, and a very grim smile.

"And here are the Gryffindors!" yelled Lee Jordan, who was acting as commentator as usual. "Potter, Crosswell, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years -"

Lee's comments were drowned by a tide of 'boos' from the Slytherin end.

"And here come the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill -"

More boos from the Slytherin crowd. Harry, however, thought Lee had a point. Malfoy was easily the smallest person On the Slytherin team; the rest of them were enormous.

"Captains, shake hands!" said Madam Hooch.

Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other's hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other's fingers.

Tess noticed Malfoy and mouthed to him, "Good luck."

"Mount your brooms!" said Madam Hooch. "Three...two...one..."

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar from the crowd as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Harry felt his hair fly back off his forehead; his nerves left him in the thrill of the flight; he glanced around, saw Malfoy on his tail, and sped off in search of the Snitch.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession, Tess Crosswell of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Tess, nice maneuver and not a bad flip! Argh, no - Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing UP the field - WHAM! - nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it's caught by - Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Angelina - nice swerve around Montague - duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger-passes to Crosswell... SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!"

Tess couldn't believe what was happening as she laughed in delight, high fiving her fellow Chasers and Beaters as she soared around the end of the field; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight. But she got back in focus and flew up to avoid a Slytherin flying into her way.

"OUCH!"

Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom as Marcus Flint went smashing into her.

"Sorry!" said Flint as the crowd below booed. "Sorry, didn't see her!"

A moment later, Fred Weasley chucked his Beater's club at the back of Flint's head. Flint's nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.

"That will do!" shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between then. "Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!"

"Come off it, Miss!" howled Fred, but Madam Hooch blew her whistle and Tess flew forward to take the penalty.

"Come on, Tess!" yelled Lee into the silence that had descended on the crowd. "YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER! TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR! I gotta say, THAT'S gonna leave a mark."

Harry turned the Firebolt sharply to watch Flint, still bleeding freely, on his nose and split lip fly forward to take the Slytherin penalty. Wood was hovering in front of the Gryffindor goal posts, his jaw clenched.

"'Course, Wood's a superb Keeper!" Lee Jordan told the crowd as Flint waited for Madam Hooch's whistle. "Superb! Very difficult to pass - very difficult indeed - YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!"

Relieved, Harry zoomed away, gazing around for the Snitch, but still making sure he caught every word of Lee's commentary. It was essential that he hold Malfoy off the Snitch until Gryffindor was more than fifty points up -

"Gryffindor in possession, no, Slytherin in possession - no! Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field - THAT WAS DELIBERATE!"

Montague, a Slytherin Chaser, had swerved in front of Katie, and instead of seizing the Quaffle had grabbed her head. Katie cart-wheeled in the air, managed to stay on her broom, but dropped the Quaffle.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out again as she soared over to Montague and began shouting at him. A minute later, Katie had put another penalty past the Slytherin Seeker.

"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING -"

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way -"

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!"

Harry felt a huge jolt of excitement. He had seen the Snitch - it was shimmering at the foot of one of the Gryffindor goal posts - but he mustn't catch it yet - and if Malfoy saw it -

Faking a look of sudden concentration, Harry pulled his Firebolt around and sped off toward the Slytherin end - it worked. Malfoy went haring after him, clearly thinking Harry had seen the Snitch there...

WHOOSH.

One of the Bludgers came streaking past Harry's right ear, hit by the gigantic Slytherin Beater, Derrick. Then again...

WHOOSH.

The second Bludger grazed Harry's elbow. The other Beater, Bole, was closing in.

Harry had a fleeting glimpse of Bole and Derrick zooming toward him, clubs raised - He turned the Firebolt upward at the last second, and Bole and Derrick collided with a sickening crunch.

"Ha haaa!" yelled Lee Jordan as the Slytherin Beaters lurched away from each other, clutching their heads. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle - Flint alongside her - poke him in the eye, Angelina! - it was a joke, Professor, it was a joke - oh no - Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save -!"

But Flint had scored; there was an eruption of cheers from the Slytherin end, and Lee swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry! Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession -"

It was turning into the dirtiest game Harry had ever played in. Enraged that Gryffindor had taken such an early lead, the Slytherins were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Katie with his club and tried to say he'd thought she was a Bludger. George Weasley elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch awarded both teams penalties, and Wood pulled off another spectacular save, making the score forty-ten to Gryffindor.

The Snitch had disappeared again. Malfoy was still keeping close to Harry as he soared over the match, looking around for it once Gryffindor was fifty points ahead -

Tess scored. Fifty-ten. Fred and George Weasley were swooping around her, clubs raised, in case any of the Slytherins were thinking of revenge. Bole and Derrick took advantage of Fred's and George's absence to aim both Bludgers at Wood; they caught him in the stomach, one after the other, and he rolled over in the air, clutching his broom, completely winded.

Madam Hooch was beside herself -

"YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA!" she shrieked at Bole and Derrick. "Gryffindor penalty!"

And Angelina scored. Sixty-ten. Moments later, Fred Weasley pelted a Bludger at Warrington, knocking the Quaffle out of his hands; Tess seized it and put it through the Slytherin goal - seventy-ten.

The Gryffindor crowd below was screaming itself hoarse - Gryffindor was sixty points in the lead, and if Harry caught the Snitch now, the Cup was theirs. Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field, high above the rest of the game, with Malfoy speeding along behind him.

And then he saw it. The Snitch was sparkling twenty feet above him.

Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears; he stretched out his hand, but suddenly, the Firebolt was slowing down -

Horrified, he looked around. Malfoy had thrown himself forward, grabbed hold of the Firebolt's tail, and was pulling it back.

"You -"

Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, but couldn't reach - Malfoy was panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he'd wanted to do - the Snitch had disappeared again.

"Penalty! Penalty to Gryffindor! I've never seen such tactics." Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B -"

Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoy's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.

Angelina took Gryffindor's penalty, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. The Gryffindor team was losing concentration and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy's foul on Harry, were being spurred on to greater heights.

"Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal - Montague scores -" Lee groaned. "Seventy-twenty to Gryffindor..."

Harry was now marking Malfoy so closely their knees kept hitting each other. Harry wasn't going to let Malfoy anywhere near the Snitch...

"Get out of it, Potter!" Malfoy yelled in frustration as he tried to turn and found Harry blocking him.

"Tess Crosswell gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor, come on, Tess, COME ON!"

Harry looked around. Every single Slytherin player apart from Malfoy was streaking up the pitch toward Tess, including the Slytherin Keeper - they were all going to block her - Harry wheeled the Firebolt around, bent so low he was lying flat along the handle, and kicked it forward. Like a bullet, he shot toward the Slytherins.

"AAAAAAARRRGH!"

They scattered as the Firebolt zoomed toward them; Tess' way was clear.

"SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty Points to twenty!"

Harry, who had almost pelted headlong into the stands, skidded to a halt in midair, reversed, and zoomed back into the middle of the field.

And then he saw something to make his heart stand still. Malfoy was diving, a look of triumph on his face - there, a few feet above the grass below, was a tiny, golden glimmer -

Harry urged the Firebolt downward, but Malfoy was miles ahead -

"Go! Go! Go!" Harry urged his broom. He was gaining on Malfoy - Harry flattened himself to the broom handle as Bole sent a Bludger at him - he was at Malfoy's ankles - he was level -

Harry threw himself forward, took both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy's arm out of the way and -

"YES!"

He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded. Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears. The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, beating its wings hopelessly against his fingers.

Then Tess was speeding toward him, half-blinded by tears; she seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you dude!" Harry felt two large thumps as Fred and George hit them; then Angelina's, Wood, and Katie's voices, "We've won the Cup! We've won the Cup!" Tangled together in a many-armed hug, the Gryffindor team sank, yelling hoarsely, back to earth.

Wave upon wave of crimson supporters was pouring over the barriers onto the field. Hands were raining down on their backs. Harry had a confused impression of noise and bodies pressing in on him. Then he, and the rest of the team, were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Thrust into the light, he saw Hagrid, Plastered with crimson rosettes - "Yeh beat 'em, Harry, yeh beat 'em! Wait till I tell Buckbeak!"

There was Percy, jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Johnnie was screaming and high fiving all the Gryffindors. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag; and there, fighting their way toward Harry, were Ron and Hermione. Words failed them. They simply beamed as Harry was borne toward the stands, where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup.

If only there had been a Dementor around...As a sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, he passed one side to Tess, and together, they lifted it into the air. Harry he could have produced the world's best Patronus. Tess felt that she had lived a dream and nothing could stop them from their happiness.

At least until the next day, when Tess found a letter on her bed...with her name on it.


	37. Chapter 37

Tess frowned as she picked up the decade old letter. She figured that it was someone from New York or maybe some of her mom's friends. Boy was she wrong when she started reading it.

_Hello Quintessa,_

_I hope you're well, and I hope you're safe._

Safe from what?, Tess wondered.

_There's something I've been meaning to tell you, but it's better this way. I'm your father._

Tess' blood froze. This was from her father? Would she finally know who he was after all these years.

_Biologically, that is._

Yeah, no shit. Tess thought.

_As far as being your father goes, I haven't earned that yet._

"That because you're a deadbeat?" Tess asked silently.

_A father should be there and always there for his child. To make sure that they feel loved, and supported, and for their child to go for guidance and to get on the right path. I have failed to do that for you, and now I'm going to tell you why. I'm an auror and a fighter to the Dark Lord, which means that in this time and war, my life is very dangerous. Which is why,_ _**we** _ _both agreed to keep you away from Britain for all these years. What happened to your mother, being distressed and on the run, that was my fault. I was the one who wanted your mother to take her mind off things one night, but it all went wrong and then a couple of weeks later, Morgan tells me that I'm going to be a father. But let me tell you something, you are_ _**not** _ _an accident. But I cannot allow anyone to harm you or her, so it's why after Morgan talked to me about the check, I told her to take it and move far away, and to not tell anyone where she's taking you, even me._

Tess felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes but tried to fight them. She could imagine what her father was going through when he wrote this

_It's also why Morgan asked Professor Dumbledore to wait to show you this message, until after your 15th birthday. I wanted to give you a real childhood, I wanted to give you that gift._

At that point, Tess let out a few tears.

_Goodbye, pup_

Tess stiffened a little. She was certain she heard a man talking to her in her dreams, calling her pup.

_Your father,_

_Sirius Orion Black._

At that moment, the world stopped for Tess. She re-read the letter and laid it down on the bed with trembling hands. _My father is Sirius Black_. Harry told her a while back that he was her godfather. _My father is Harry's godfather, does that make him...like my brother-wait. Harry._

One day, Harry came back from his first visit at Hogsmeade and told her that Black was his godfather, which meant that he must have let out the fact the she was his daughter on purpose.

Standing up, and fuming, she decided to give one Harry James Potter a questioning that he had never faced before.


	38. Chapter 38

Tess snuck her way, the letter in her pocket and found her so called friends walking down the hall and chatting.

"Harry!" Tess said, tightening the grip of her knuckles in her pockets and trying her best acting smile. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Harry went along with Tess, knowing full well that Tess was somewhat mad at him and when a Crosswell was mad, bad things happened.

"Alright Potter." She said venomously. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Take your pick."

"What are you going on about?" Harry asked.

"I know your secret." Tess snarled. "I know what you've been hiding from me and maybe since the start of the year."

Harry paled, knowing instantly what she was talking about. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

Tess then cracked her knuckles and smiled angrily. _I'm a dead wizard._ Harry thought.

"Alright. Hard way then. Good thing I cast some Silencing Charms so no one can hear your screams."

"Wha.."

Tess tackled him to the ground, beating him senseless until Ron quickly opened and closed the door behind him with Hermione.

"Hey come on!" Ron yelled while pulling the raging Tess away from Harry who was being held up by Hermione while she fixed Harry's glasses. "Tess knock it off!"

"Oh I'll knock it off." She snarled. "When someone **tells the truth!** "

"What's she talking about?" Hermione asked Harry.

"I don't know." said Harry. "She just walked in and started punching me."

"Oh don't you play dumb." said Tess. "You don't even know **how** to play dumb! I wanna hear it from all three of you. When you mentioned Sirius Black being Harry's father, you failed to give out one little piece of information."

It took a moment for all of them, save for Harry to figure out what Tess was talking about.

"How did you know?" Hermione asked. "There's no way you could have known, Johnnie didn't tell you."

"Wait." said Tess. "My cousin knew and didn't tell me?!"

"And pretty much everyone else." Ron said scratching his head which only made Tess look at him like he was someone who stole her wand and broke it.

"Ron, you're not helping." said Harry. "But seriously Tess, how did you find out?"

"That's not important." She said.

"Hippogriff dung." said Ron. "Somebody told you. Who was it?"

"Fine." said Tess. "If you're not gonna give me a straight answer, I'm gonna see who is."

"Where are you going?" Harry asked as Tess opened the door.

"To find the one person who knows about my past more than anyone else!"

She stormed towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, her heart beating as loud as the chatter in the hallway. Some people even parted like the Red Sea just because they did not want to bother the raging American.

"Thank you Minnie." She hear Lupin behind the door.

"Oh it's no trouble Remus."

BOOM! The door burst open and came in, a very mad Quintessa.

"Quintessa." McGonagall said. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I have this." Lupin said. "Can I help you?"

"You can start by telling me the truth, Remus." said Tess. "And I wanna hear it from you. I wanna hear it from both of you."

"How about first, we calm down?" Lupin asked his goddaughter.

"How about first we explain this?" She reached in her pockets and yanked out the letter and handed it to Lupin who read it and looked close to breaking down. "Is it true?" She asked with her voice breaking and tears threatening to come out. "Please tell me, is the man who wrote that letter my dad?"

Lupin stood frozen. How could he tell her when she needed a father then more than ever? He was sure Morgan was rolling in her grave now but he wanted his goddaughter to be safe.

Already giving up on the suspense, Professor McGonagall walked over to Tess, placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and said in a barely hushed whisper, "Yes. Black is your father."

She looked to Lupin who in turn nodded and her whole world, shattered into pieces. It wasn't that she was sad who her father was, it was that everyone, including her own mother, lied to her for years and apparently didn't trust her with her own father's name and to her, they thought she was weak and fragile. It was like her friends were never really her friends anymore.

Lupin came around to give her a hug but she pushed him back. "So all…" She said, her voice carrying shock and outrage. "All that stuff about being my godfather...you made that up?"

"No." He said. "I am your godfather, therefore I was entitled to protect you."

"Protect me?!" Tess exclaimed. "You're supposed to trust me! I trusted you!" She lowered her voice. "I even know about your condition and I have gone out of my way to protect you and this is what you do? Lie to me, trick me, hide the one fact I've been searching for all year?"

"Tess-" She ran out before they could say anything and when she was downstairs, already walking in the hall, to nowhere. She just wanted to get out.

"Tess." said Johnnie. "You ok?"

"Stop." she said. "I cannot hear another lie."

"You know?" Johnnie asked.

"Yeah." she stated bluntly before leaving. "Just to be clear, I don't care that you have a secret or that everyone has their secrets. I can't believe that you know who my father is and you didn't tell me."

She went outside to the courtyards, a place where she could breathe the fresh air and get away from the stress of one day.

"Tess." She heard Harry.

"What do you want Potter?" She asked.

"I just wanted to apologize." He said sitting next to her. "I never should have kept it from you. And I'm the one who made Ron and Hermione not tell you."

"And you decided this now?" Tess scoffed.

"Tess-

"Harry, it's one thing to unintentionally hide the fact that you're a Parselmouth." She said. "It's another thing, to hide intentionally, your best friend's parentage. Honestly, did you think I was gonna be vengeful and go after Black?"

"Tess, he killed your uncle."

Tess took a minute to process this and suddenly felt sick. "Let me ask you a question." She said. "Are you afraid of me?" Harry froze. He couldn't help but feel on guard when she said that. He had no right to blame her for her father's actions but although she looked like a Gryffindor she still acted like a cold blooded Slytherin sometimes. "You think I might go nuts like my pops did? You think I might be a.. **killer**?"

Harry subconsciously whipped out his wand, in plain view to see. Tess scoffed. "Yeah. That's what I thought."

As Tess started to walk away, Harry said to her, "Tess please."

"No. We're done."


	39. Chapter 39

Gryffindor's euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake.

However, what was once the Golden Quartet, was now the Golden Trio. Tess had stopped talking to them, sitting with them, doing homework with them. She couldn't even bear to look at them. Including Johnnie who had tried to get her to talk to them but now she was so mad at them, she had taken to sitting with either the Hufflepuffs or the Slytherins. It was mostly the Slytherins. There was one person there who managed to make her feel a little better. Draco and Tess did talk together, but Pansy wasn't having it. Even though Pansy tried to kick her out, Tess always triumphed with her insults. Of course she didn't tell anyone, because she certainly wasn't going to say, "Hey, I'm the daughter of Sirius Black who is on the loose and therefore I've got his number."

Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George Weasley had been spotted working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the common room in the evenings. In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.

Harry and Ron had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam schedule she had drawn up for herself. The first column read:

Monday

9 o'clock, Arithmancy

9 o'clock, Transfiguration

Lunch

1 o'clock, Charms

1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

"Hermione?" Ron said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. "Er - are you sure you've copied down these times right?"

"What?" snapped Hermione, picking up the exam schedule and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."

"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit for two exams at once?" said Harry.

"No," said Hermione shortly. "Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?"

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," said Ron, but very quietly. Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment. Although she devoted her time to studying, Tess had some opportunity to speak to Hagrid.

"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them, bending low on the pretense of checking that Tess' flobberworm was still alive. "Bin cooped up too long. But still...we'll know day after tomorrow - one way or the other -"

They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. Try as Harry might, he couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to thicken, and Snape, standing watch with an air of vindictive pleasure, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away.

With Draco's help and Tess' own knowledge, she managed to do pretty well this year.

Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Harry scribbled everything Florean Fortescue had ever told him about medieval witch-hunts, while wishing he could have had one of Fortescue's choco-nut sundaes with him in the stifling classroom. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.

Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart.

"Excellent, Harry," Lupin muttered as Harry climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."

Tess got pretty much the same results but she had done it faster as rage wasn't really on her mind. To her, it felt good to feel that rush of adrenaline when facing a Grindylow.

Flushed with his success, Harry hung around to watch Ron and Hermione. Ron did very well until he reached the Hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the Boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione!" said Lupin, startled. "What's the matter?"

"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"

It took a little while to calm Hermione down. When at last she had regained a grip on herself, she, Harry, and Ron went back to the castle. Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's Boggart.

But Harry could tell Hermione didn't really believe what she was saying. All around them, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch, happily anticipating the end of the exams that afternoon, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione, lost in worry about Hagrid and Buckbeak, didn't join in.

Tess was on her way to class the Great Hall by herself when lunch ended. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Professor Dumbledore.

"Ah Quintessa." He said chipper. "May I see you in my office?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she went with the Headmaster to the grand stairway. When she entered his office, she couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu. One year ago, after the battle in the Chamber of Secrets, she was sure she was going to be chucked out with her...former friends.

"How are you?" Dumbledore asked. "Please have a seat. Would you like some tea? Chocolate?"

"No thank you." said Tess. "I just ate."

"I heard about your...discovery." Dumbledore said to her. "I'm sorry. But I can't make your friend's decisions for you. And you should try to forgive them."

Tess snorted. "Right, good luck with that. Is that why you brought me here, to give me a pep talk?"

"No." said Dumbledore. "I've noticed that you haven't talked to anyone mostly except for Draco Malfoy and you have been out of character lately. I want to...what is it the Americans use? Oh yes, get you back on the right track. Do you want to know why your mother hid the truth from you? It's not something I can tell you, it's something I can show you."

Tess looked at Dumbledore's twinkling eyes. Of course she wanted to know, but she wasn't sure if he was just toying with her. "Oh what the hell, let's get this over with."

Dumbledore led her to this pedestal that had a glowing pool of water in it.

"What am I supposed to do, drink it?" She asked, unimpressed.

"No." said Dumbledore. "This water is not made for drinking. It's a Penseive, used for viewing memories."

"Memories?" Tess asked. "What kind?"

"Any kind." said Dumbledore, giving her a small vial of silvery mist. "From anyone. This vial contains a memory I got from your mother when you were just a three year old. Would you like to see it for yourself?"

"Let's do it." said Tess without any hesitation.

Dumbledore slowly poured the vial's contents into the Pensieve, letting out a black mist in the water. With no time to waste, she took a big breath and put her head in the water, but what she didn't expect was to actually fall in the forming world.

_Chicago, Illinois._

_1982_

_Tess stood a little shaken but took her time to observe her surroundings. It was a bright sunny afternoon, the city was not far from the nice quiet neighborhood that lived right next to it._

_It took a second for Tess to notice the house she was in front of. It was a moderate sized blue house with a small porch in front, a silver Subaru parked near, and a big tree in the front lawn. The atmosphere of this place was that felt like it was a safe zone for anyone._

" _Why does this place feel so familiar?" Tess asked._

_The door opened and the person who stepped out was a woman with blonde hair, peachy skin, and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a black and white striped shirt, pink jeans and heels. She sat down and started reading a book, unable to see Tess who looked to be in shock._

" _Mom?" No response. "Mom!" She ran over to hug her, but fell right through her, as if she was made of air. "Oh right, memory."_

_Outside, a wizard Apparated in a bush nearby and walked out to 7 Jane St, where Morgan was._

" _Morgan." said a younger Lupin._

" _Remus?" Morgan asked, putting her book down. "What are you doing here?"_

" _We need to talk." He said._

" _Look, I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here by showing up unannounced-"_

" _I know, Morgan." said Lupin. "I know who your daughter's father is."_

_Morgan looked startled before regaining her composure. "Ok."_

" _Why didn't you tell any of us?" Lupin asked, his voice rising. "Even Lily?"_

" _Ok." She said, coming down slowly. "Just keep your voice down. Narcissa told me not to."_

" _ **What**_ _?" Lupin asked in outrage at the same time as Tess._

" _She offered me a million dollars to tell you that I miscarried." Morgan explained._

" _Narcissa Malfoy is practically a Death Eater but she would never do that." Lupin argued, not willing to believe that money was what drove his best friend out of the country._

_Tess couldn't believe her ears. Someone who she was warming up, his mother was the reason why she never knew her father?_

_Morgan led the werewolf into the cozy home and Tess who discovered th. "Wait here." She instructed._

_Remus took his time to view the house and the photographs of Tess crawling, swimming in the kiddie pool and playing with the neighbor's dog. Overall, she had the same happiness her father did when he was a boy._

" _Here." said Morgan handing Remus the 2 year old check. "Never cashed it. I didn't need her money to know I didn't want her crowd anywhere near my child."_

" _Or me anywhere near her." Remus said._

" _It''s not you or your condition this time." said Morgan walking to the kitchen. "So what now? Quintessa can be just like her mom and mentors? Getting into dangerous stuff, like wars and death and getting knocked up by your boyfriend when you're trying to survive?"_

" _Morgan, that's not what's happening." Lupin argued._

" _I know." said Morgan, opening the fridge and getting a bottle of water. "I know, the war is over, Harry Potter who was only in diapers, kicked the Dark Lord's ass. But Remus, can you honestly say that England isn't any less crazy? That their world isn't better kept off from hers?"_

" _You're right." He said. "I guess I am kind of forcing this on you but I'm here because I want an opportunity to get to know a remaining Marauder's child and I think that a young witch should get the opportunity to get to know her father or at least her heritage."_

" _Look she's happy." said Morgan. "She's well adjusted. I don't want the risk of her getting sunk in too deep with things she's too young to understand. The only way to ensure that Tess can have a normal quiet childhood...is that she can't know who her father is, and no one else can. At least, until she's ready. I don't care if that sounds harsh, I'm her mother and I will do whatever it takes to protect her."_

" _I may not be able to come to America and visit." said Remus. "At least come back to England."_

" _Oh Remus I can't." said Morgan. "I've had enough of their blood purity shit, I want a life. I need some balance you know, I need, a house, a dog, a garden and a family. And I'm not giving that up."_

" _I see." said Remus. "You don't want anything to do with your friends anymore."_

" _It's not that." said Morgan. "It's just...we have lost so many friends, Frank and Alice, James and Lily, my brother, Marlene. I want to start fresh and I think you should too. And I would like you to be a part of Quintessa's life and I know you don't want to put her in danger because of your lycanthropy, but if you ever meet her, you should be her godfather. And I would like you to tell her the truth when she's ready."_

Suddenly, Tess saw the world fade and she felt being pulled back and sure enough, she was out of the Pensieve back in reality. At the same time, she felt something over her eyes be lifted, like film being lifted from liquid.

"Whoa." She said blinking her eyes rapidly. "That was...unreal."

"That was the Pensieve." said Dumbledore. "Do you understand now?"

"I guess." She said. "I just have one more question. Did my dad love me?"

"Love you?" Dumbledore asked handing her another vial of memories. "Even though you weren't born yet, he cherished you."

Tess dipped the memories in and dove back in the Pensieve.

_Sirius was leaning against the wall, looking visibly shaken. Morgan had just left America and he would never see her again or his own flesh and blood._

" _Sirius." said Dumbledore. "I know how much you love Morgan, but her leaving is for the best."_

" _It's not that." said the wizard. "It's the baby. She's my daughter and..there's so many things I want to say to her and I'm never going to be able to."_

" _Like what?" Dumbledore asked._

" _Like..how I don't want her to think that her father just abandoned her. How I would do anything for her, how no matter what I do, I'm always thinking about her, how I'm gonna spend my life loving her and she's never gonna know."_


	40. Chapter 40

Harry's, Tess' and Ron's last exam was Divination; Hermione's, Muggle Studies. They walked up the marble staircase together; Hermione left them on the first floor and Harry, Tess and Ron proceeded all the way up to the seventh, where many of their class were sitting on the spiral staircase to Professor Trelawney's classroom, trying to cram in a bit of last-minute studying. Harry didn't talk to her but Ron tried to make conversation with her but she always brushed him off by saying, "Yeah, uh-huh" to pretty much everything he was saying.

"She's seeing us all separately," Neville informed them as they went to sit down next to him. He had his copy of Unfogging the Future open on his lap at the pages devoted to crystal gazing. "Have either of you ever seen anything in a crystal ball?" he asked them unhappily.

"Nope," said Ron in an offhand voice. He kept checking his watch; Harry. knew that he was counting down the time until Buckbeak's appeal started.

"I just hope my Flogg is lifted this time." Tess said to Neville.

The line of people outside the classroom shortened very slowly. As each person climbed back down the silver ladder, the rest of the class hissed, "What did she ask? Was it okay?"

But they all refused to say.

"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident!" squeaked Neville as he clambered back down the ladder toward Harry and Ron, who had now reached the landing.

"That's convenient," snorted Ron. "You know, I'm starting to think Hermione was right about her" - he jabbed his thumb toward the trapdoor overhead - "she's a right old fraud."

"Yeah," said Harry, looking at his own watch. It was now two o'clock. "Wish she'd hurry up..."

Parvati came back down the ladder glowing with pride.

"She says I've got all the makings of a true Seer," she informed Harry and Ron. "I saw loads of stuff...Well, good luck!"

She hurried off down the spiral staircase toward Lavender.

"Ronald Weasley," said the familiar, misty voice from over their heads. Ron grimaced at Harry and climbed the silver ladder out of sight. Harry was now the only person left to be tested. He settled himself on the floor with his back against the wall, listening to a fly buzzing in the sunny window, his mind across the grounds with Hagrid.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, Ron's large feet reappeared on the ladder.

"How'd it go?" Harry asked him, standing up.

"Rubbish," said Ron. "Couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don't think she was convinced, though..."

"Meet you in the common room," Harry muttered as Professor Trelawney's voice called, "Harry Potter!"

When Harry was was finished, he looked a bit frightened, like he saw the Grim standing in front of him.

But when he passed by Tess, he whispered, "Good luck."

"Quintessa Crosswell." The misty voice sounded and Tess made her way to the Divination Room.

The tower room was hotter than ever before; the curtains were closed, the fire was alight, and the usual sickly scent made Tess cough as she walked through the clutter of chairs and table to where Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball.

"Good day, my dear," she said softly. "I sense something is lifted and you are light, perhaps it is the Flogg? If you would kindly gaze into the Orb...Take your time, now...then tell me what you see within it..."

"Fair warning Professor." said Tess. "I'm not sure how to tell if a Flogg has been lifted so...bear with me please."

"Your exam shall tell us Quintessa." said Trelawney.

Tess bent over the crystal ball and stared, stared as hard as she could, willing it to show her something other than swirling white fog, but nothing happened.

"Well?" Professor Trelawney prompted delicately. "What do you see?"

The heat was overpowering and her nostrils were stinging with the perfumed smoke wafting from the fire beside them. But suddenly, she saw something in there. It was like a static television screen.

"Er -" said Tess, "a dark shape...um...3 actually"

"What do they resemble?" whispered Professor Trelawney. "Think, now..."

Tess cast her mind around and they started to become clear shapes

"A wolf, a dog, and a rat." said Tess.

"Indeed!" whispered Professor Trelawney, scribbling keenly on the parchment perched upon her knees. "My girl, you may well be seeing the outcome of a conflict!"

"Um." said Tess. "Not to diss your Inner Eye, but what do these animals have to do with each other?"

'Look closer...do they seem familiar to you?"

"Yes," said Harry firmly.

"Are you sure?" Professor Trelawney urged him. "Look closer, what do you see?"

"Well..." said Tess, starting to feel slightly sick. "The wolf, I don't recognize at all, the black dog, it looks like Padfoot, my cousin's dog and….hold on an itty bitty second." She peered in closer and saw the rat, which was missing a toe. "Hang on, this looks like Scabbers. But that's impossible, Hermione's cat ate him."

Just then, a loud, harsh voice spoke behind her.

"IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."

Tess nearly fell back. Professor Trelawney had gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging.

"What the hell?" said Tess.

But Professor Trelawney didn't seem to hear her. Trelawney's eyes started to roll. Tess sat there in a panic. Trelawney looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure. Tess didn't know what to do, was this medical or something to do with her talent of seeing the future? And then Professor Trelawney spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own:

"TONIGHT, THE PAST OF THE PREVIOUS GENERATION SHALL BE UNCOVERED, INNOCENT BLOOD SHALL BE SPILT, AND PARENT AND CHILD SHALL BE REUNITED ONCE MORE."

Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Tess sat there, staring at her. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney's head snapped up again.

"I'm so sorry, dear girl," she said dreamily, "the heat of the day, you know...I drifted off for a moment..."

Tess sat there, staring at her.

"Is there anything wrong, my dear?"

"No. Nothing."

Professor Trelawney looked thoroughly startled.

Just as Tess was leaving, Trelawney called out in a misty voice that was somewhat clear and sharp, "One who holds a grudge will be the one who never finds peace within self."

Five minutes later she was dashing past the security trolls and into the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, Professor Trelawney's words still resounding in her head. People were striding past her in the opposite direction, laughing and joking, heading for the grounds and a bit of long-awaited freedom; by the time she had reached the dorms, it was almost deserted. Over in the corner, however, sat Hermione.

"Hi Granger." She said disdainfully.

"Tess we need to talk." said Hermione.

"Save. It." Tess said dangerously. "You need to get it through that bushy brune head of yours, there is no way I am ever coming back to you guys. End of story."

Hermione only chuckled. "You're a hypocrite."

" 'Scuse me?" Tess challenged.

"Yes we hid the truth from you, while **you** are hiding Lupin's condition and you can deny it all you want but I know you know."

"That's because in England werewolves are pretty much the bad guys here. Can you imagine what Lupin's gonna go through if they find out what his condition is? Parents will try to rip him apart with his bare hands. He'll lose his job and don't you see how happy he is?"

"We were trying to keep you happy." said Hermione.

"Still, you had no right to keep someone's parentage from them."

"Yeah, we messed up on that part." Hermione agreed. "But that's not why I'm here."

"Really?" Tess asked.

"Hagrid lost his case." said Hermione. "Buckbeak's gonna be executed."

Tess froze a little. "What? How can they do that?"

"We're going down to support Hagrid." said Hermione. "Do you wanna come with us?" Tess didn't even talk to her. "Tess, we're sorry! We never should have done that to you."

Tess turned around and smile at Hermione. "I forgive you."

"Ron?"

"Yep."

"And Harry?"

Tess frowned. "Bubkis." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Means no."


	41. Chapter 41

Harry followed Tess downstairs until he managed to yell, "STOP!" at the Transfiguration corridor. "I want you to come with us to Hagrid's on that day."

"Wow." She said sarcastically. "Ain't that an explosion of fireworks."

"I know you're mad at me." said Harry sincerely making Tess stop in her tracks, her back facing Harry. "I would be mad at me too. I was ignorant, selfish, and feeling sorry for myself when I should have realized that I wasn't the only one hurt. But I shouldn't have judged you for your parentage, and I never should have kept it from you. But we all have to go to Hagrid's, we owe him one, and I know you know that. And after that, you can walk away, hating me, and it'll be fine because I was a **horrible** friend and I hurt you. You can hate me knowing that you were right, all along. I really am a stiff."

There was a heavy silence, so heavy that the floor could have cracked. The tension was felt even by a passing owl who was flying in their direction and turned around.

"Not the most heartfelt apology." Tess broke the silence. "But I'll take it." Harry only laughed while walking towards her. "Oh come here. Come on." He hugged her tightly and she returned it, siblings in all but blood returned in friendship. "There you go, oh you Brits are so emotional."


	42. Chapter 42

They went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to Gryffindor Tower afterward. Harry had the cloak hidden down the front of his robes; he had to keep his arms folded to hide the lump. They skulked in an empty chamber off the entrance hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard a last pair of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door.

"Okay," Johnnie whispered, joining them, "no one there - cloak on -"

Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, they crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath the cloak, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.

They snuck outside on the courtyard, where they sneered in disgust at the executioner sharpening his ax with nasty grins.

"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak." said Hermione. "It's just too horrible."

"It just got worse." said Harry. They then spotted Draco and his cronies sneaking around Hagrid's cabin.

"Did you see the big, fat blubbering oaf?!" Draco bragged. "Oh, this is going to be rich. Did I tell you, Father said I can keep the head -"

Tess felt sick as she started regretting hanging around with him so much. But Hermione was beating her to it and stormed toward Malfoy. "Come to see the show?"

"You!" She thundered. "You foul loathsome evil little shit!" She whipped out her wand and pointed it to Draco's face.

"Hermione, no!" Ron exclaimed. "He's not worth it."

Johnnie was having different thoughts. He just wanted this brat out of the way, so Tess wouldn't be hanging around with a bad influence, and she was already bad enough.

It seemed for about a minute that Hermione was actually going to finish him off, but when she lowered her wand and the Slytherin boys started laughing at her, she whipped around and punched Malfoy in the nose, the cracking sound indicated that she might have broken it.

The Slytherin boys took that as their cue to get out and everyone could hear Malfoy screaming at them not to say a word to anyone about this.

"That felt good." said Hermione.

"Not good." Ron said. "Brilliant."

"That was awesome Mione." Johnnie said while Tess hugged the life out of her.

"My best friend is growing up!"

Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, they crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath the cloak, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.

They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.

"It's us," Harry hissed. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, and they stepped inside. Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the cloak.

Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon their necks. He looked like a man who did not know where he was or what to do. This helplessness was worse to watch than tears.

"Wan' some tea?" he said. His great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.

"I can help you there big guy." Johnnie offered kindly while tending to the kettle.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.

"I - I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' - an' smell fresh air - before -"

Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Harry glanced at Ron, who looked back hopelessly.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore -"

"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared...Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like...threatened 'em, I expect...an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's...but it'll be quick an' clean...an' I'll be beside him..."

"In other words." said Tess said sadly. "His hands are tied."

Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it - while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter - ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore..."

Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back tears.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.

"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway...If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble. Even yeh Johnnie."

Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea. Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.

"Ron, I don't believe it - it's Scabbers!"

Ron gaped at her.

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"

He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself

"It's okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

"Might wanna keep an eye on that pet of yours." Johnnie advised.

"I think you owe someone an apology." Hermione stated firmly.

"Right." said Ron. "Next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know."

"I meant me!"

While the two third years bickered, Harry asked the seventh year, "Speaking of pets, where's yours?"

"Oh Padfoot?" Johnnie replied. "He's on the leash in my dorm. Honestly I don't even trust that dog anymore-

CRASH! A vase broke all of a sudden.

"Who the bloody hell did that?" Ron asked.

"Ow!" Harry winced but when he turned around to see who threw the stone at his head, he saw in front, Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun. Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner from the courtyard, Macnair.

Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment.

"They're comin'...Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here...Go now..."

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak. "I'll let yeh out the back way," said Hagrid.

They followed him to the door into his back garden. Harry felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head from side to side and pawed the ground nervously.

"It's okay, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's okay..." He turned to Harry, Ron, The Crosswells, and Hermione. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."

But they didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't -"

"We'll tell them what really happened -"

"They can't kill him -"

"Let us help."

"We've gotta do something-

"Go!" said Hagrid fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

They had no choice. As Hermione threw the cloak over the rest, they heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.

"Go quick," he said hoarsely. "Don' listen..."

And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.

Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, Harry, Ron, Johnnie, Tess, and Hermione set off silently around Hagrid's house. As they reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.

"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it..."

"Quiet then." Johnnie hissed.

They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged gray, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.

Ron stopped dead.

"Oh, please, Ron," Tess began. "Not now."

"It's Scabbers - he won't - stay put -"

Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing, trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand.

"Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hissed.

Suddenly, there was a snapping noise in the first patch of forest behind them.

"Huh?" Hermione whispered in confusion.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I thought I just saw... never mind."

They heard a door open behind them and men's voices.

"Oh, guys, we gotta move now, they're going to do it!" Johnnie breathed.

"Okay - Scabbers, stay put -"

They walked forward; Harry, like Hermione, was trying not to listen to the rumble of voices behind them. Ron stopped again.

"I can't hold him - Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us -"

The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden.

Once they got to high ground, where they took off the cloak and looked down at Hagrid's garden. They all looked at it mournfully, thinking of Buckbeak and his moments of joy. Tess wasn't religious but she made a cross with her fingers just to wish Buckbeak an amazing afterlife. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish, the thud of an axe, and a sickening CHOP!

Hermione swayed on the spot before leaning in and leaned into Ron's shoulder. Tess stood strong and comforted Hermione with Harry and Johnnie.

"They did it!" she whispered to Harry in tears. "I'd - don't believe it - they did it!"

"RIP Buckbeak." said Tess. "RIP."


	43. Chapter 43

Harry's mind had gone blank with shock. The five of them stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, behind them, they heard a wild howling.

"Hagrid," Harry muttered. Without thinking about what he was doing, he made to go down, but both Ron and Johnnie seized his arms.

"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him..."

"Yeah and...he's gone." Johnnie said whose tan skin had gone pale.

Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven.

"How - could - they?" she choked. "How could they?"

"The world's a complicated mess." Tess assured.

"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.

They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the cloak. The light was fading fast now.

By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.

"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, You stupid rat? Stay still - OUCH! He bit me!"

"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute -"

"He won't - stay - put -"

"Keep a lid on that rat will ya?"

Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.

"What's the matter with him?"

But Harry had just seen - stinking toward them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness - Crookshanks. Whether he could see them or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harry couldn't tell.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"

But the cat was getting nearer -

"Scabbers - NO!"

Too late - the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.

"Ron!" Hermione moaned.

She and Harry looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; they pulled it off and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron; they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.

"Get away from him - get away - Scabbers, come here -"

There was a loud thud.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat -"

Harry, Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.

"Ron - come on back under the cloak -" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore - the Minister - they'll be coming back out in a minute -"

But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws... Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow - an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.

"Padfoot?" Johnnie asked in wonder. "How the hell did you get out?" The dog in response, growled like the devil. "Good dog, sit. Sit."

Harry reached for his wand, but too late - the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest; he keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth -

But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it rolled off him. Dazed, feeling as though his ribs were broken, Harry tried to stand up; he could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack.

Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Harry aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged forward, he seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll, Johnnie jumped forward and grabbed Ron's feet while trying to pull him back.

Then, out of nowhere, something hit Harry so hard across the face he was knocked off his feet again. He heard Hermione shriek with pain and fall too. Tess grunted in pain as something hit her.

Harry groped for his wand, blinking blood out of his eyes

"Lumos!" he whispered.

The wandlight showed him the trunk of a thick tree; they had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop them going nearer.

"Oh Crap." said Tess. A tree branch had apparently cut into her side and was starting to like a leaking faucet.

And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backward into a large gap in the roots - Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight -

"Ron!" Harry shouted, trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and he was forced backward again.

Suddenly, a horrible crack rang through the air like a gunshot, Ron's leg had broken.

"Harry. Tess - we've got to go for help -" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.

"No!" Tess said. "That thing's big enough to eat him; we ain't got time -"

"Harry - we're never going to get through without help -"

Another branch whipped down at them, twigs clenched like knuckles.

"If that dog can get in, we can," Harry panted, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but he couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree roots without being in range of the tree's blows.

Tess dodged the branches, her mind briefly flashing back to the games of dodgeball. The only rule of dodgeball that mattered most of all, Don't Die. "Come on Tess."

She muttered to herself as she performed the moves. "Remember the 5 D's. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge."

"Oh, help, help," Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, "Please..."

Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.

Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. She now grasped Harry's arm painfully hard. "How did he know -?"

"First Scabbers." said Tess. "Then Padfoot, now Crookshanks."

"He's friends with that dog," said Harry grimly. "I've seen them together. Come on - and keep your wands out -"

"What's next, a wolf?" Tess muttered, whipping out her wand.

They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. Harry went next; he crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from Harry's wand. Seconds later, Hermione slithered down beside him.

"Where's Ron?" she whispered in a terrified voice.

"Hopefully somewhere that's not dark and dirty." Tess said out of hope.

"This way," said Harry, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.

"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind him.

"I don't know...It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it...It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade..."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Tess asked. "Let's get through this stinking tunnel, find our stinking pets, save Stinking Ron and Johnnie, and get out of this stinking place."


	44. Chapter 44

They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double; ahead of them, Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes... All Harry could think of was Ron and Johnnie and what the enormous dog might be doing to them...He was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch...

And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Ahead Harry could see a patch of dim light through a small opening.

He and Hermione paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. Both raised their wands to see what lay beyond.

It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.

Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked very frightened but nodded with Tess.

Harry pulled himself out of the hole, staring around. The room was deserted, but a door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed Harry's arm again. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows.

"Harry, Tess" she whispered, "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack."

Harry looked around. His eyes fell on a wooden chair near them. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely.

"Ghosts didn't do that," he said slowly.

"I'll say." said Tess noticing a severely clawed painting. "Get a load of this."

Hermione gasped at the sight of the ruined painting.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Both of them looked up at the ceiling. Hermione's grip on Harry's arm was so tight he was losing feeling in his fingers. He raised his eyebrows at her; she nodded again and let go.

Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.

They reached the dark landing.

"Nox," they all whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod. Harry looked to Tess who gestured her arms to the door and pointed to him.

Wand held tightly before him, Harry kicked the door wide open.

On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron. Johnnie was sitting down, his hands cuffed in chains.

Harry, Tess, and Hermione dashed across to them.

"Ron - are you okay?"

"Where's the dog?"

"Not a dog," Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Harry, it's a trap -"

"What are you talking about?" Tess asked while picking the lock. "Johnnie who did this to you?"

"The man who I once called my pet." Johnnie said obviously in shock.

"What man, John?" Hermione asked.

"He's the dog...he's an Animagus."

Ron was staring over Harry's shoulder. Harry wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them.

A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.

Expelliarmus!" he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them.

Harry's, Tess' and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Black caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Harry.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely and looked at Tess who was looking at him in a mixture of shock and anger.

"Father." She said in a venomous way of greeting.

"Daughter." He said to her a bit in the same way she said it. "It's good to see you in the land of the awake."

His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "Your father would have done the same for me, Harry Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful...it will make everything much easier..."

The taunt about his father rang in Harry's ears as though Black had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Harry's chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack...to kill. Without knowing what he was doing, he started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of him and two pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back... "No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Black.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.

Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.

"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."

"Did you hear him?" Johnnie said angrily, in the same hate Harry felt. "You'll have to kill all four of us! But don't you **dare** hurt Tess?"

"Oh why would I murder my own flesh and blood? We're family after all. And besides, There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened.

"Why's that?" Harry spat, trying to wrench himself free of Ron, and Hermione. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew...What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Harry!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"

"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, and with a huge effort he broke free of Hermione's and Ron's restraint and lunged forward -

He had forgotten about magic - he had forgotten that he was short and skinny and thirteen, whereas Black was a tall, full-grown man - all Harry knew was that he wanted to hurt Black as badly as he could and that he didn't care how much he got hurt in return -

Perhaps it was the shock of Harry doing something so stupid, but Black didn't raise the wands in time - one of Harry's hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of Harry's other hand collided with the side of Black's head and they fell, backward, into the wall -

Hermione was screaming; Ron and Tess was yelling, Johnnie was also screaming in rage as he was being held back by his cousin, there was a blinding flash as the wands in Black's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Harry's face by inches; Harry felt the shrunken arm under his fingers twisting madly, but he clung on, his other hand punching every part of Black it could find.

But Black's free hand had found Harry's throat

"No," he hissed, "I've waited too long -"

The fingers tightened, Harry choked, his glasses askew.

Then he saw Johnnie's foot swing out of nowhere. Black let go of Harry with a grunt of pain; Ron had thrown himself on Black's wand hand and Harry heard a faint clatter -

He fought free of the tangle of bodies and saw his own wand rolling across the floor; he threw himself toward it but

"Argh!"

Crookshanks had joined the fray; both sets of front claws had sunk themselves deep into Johnnie's arm; He threw him off, but Crookshanks now darted toward Harry's wand -

"NO YOU DON'T!" roared Harry, and he aimed a kick at Crookshanks that made the cat leap aside, spitting; Harry snatched up his wand and turned -

"Get out of the way!" he shouted at Ron and Hermione.

They didn't need telling twice. Hermione, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up her and Ron's wands. Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg.

Tess didn't know what to do other than help Ron. Black did make a point to her. Was she willing to do whatever it took to avenge her family even if it meant killing the person who helped create her? Would she harm her own blood?

Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Harry walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at Black's heart.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" he whispered. "Oh and Johnathan, I'd move now to get the first shot, otherwise Daddy won't be-

Black was cut short by Johnnie pointing his wand, his warm brown eyes livid with cold cruel malice. "Shut up."

Harry stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at Black's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding.

"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady.

"You killed my father." Johnnie added on.

Black stared up at them out of those sunken eyes.

"I don't deny it," he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Harry repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."

"And you got rid of my dad before he had a chance to save their lives."

"You've both got to listen to me," Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You too, Quintessa, you'll all regret it if you don't...You don't understand..."

"Me and Johnnie here understand a lot better than you think," said Harry, and his voice shook more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum...trying to stop Voldemort killing me...and you did that...you did it..."

"My mother spent years, raising me and Tess without a father." Johnnie spat. "How could you kill the brother of the woman who gave birth to your child?"

Before either of them could say another word, something ginger streaked past Harry; Crookshanks leapt onto Black's chest and settled himself there, right over Black's heart. Black blinked and looked down at the cat.

"Get off," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him.

But Crookshanks sank his claws into Black's robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his ugly, squashed face to Harry and looked up at him with those great yellow eyes. To his right, Hermione gave a dry sob.

Harry stared down at Black and Crookshanks, his grip tightening on the wand. So what if he had to kill the cat too? It was in league with Black...If it was prepared to die, trying to protect Black, that wasn't Harry's business... If Black wanted to save it, that only proved he cared more for Crookshanks than for Harry's parents...

"What are you waiting for Potter?" Johnnie asked lividly. "Let's end this."

"Couldn't agree more." said Harry, as they both raised their wands.

Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge their parents, Harry's mother and father. They were going to kill Black. They **had** to kill Black. This was their chance...

The seconds lengthened. And still Harry and Johnnie stood frozen there, wand poised, Black staring up at him, Crookshanks on his chest. Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed; Hermione and Tess were quite silent.

And then came a new sound -

Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor - someone was moving downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE - SIRIUS BLACK - QUICK!"

Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; Harry gripped his wand convulsively - Do it now! said a voice in his head - but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and Harry and Johnnie still hadn't done it.

The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harry wheeled around as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Tess and Hermione, cowering next to the door, to Harry, standing there with his wand covering Black, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry and Johnnie's feet.

"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.

Harry and Johnnie's wands flew once more out of his hand; so did the two Hermione was holding. Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at Black, who still had Crookshanks lying protectively across his chest.

Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. Black was going to be handed back to the Dementors.

Johnnie couldn't have felt worse. He failed his dad, his role model.

Then Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice.

"Where is he, Sirius?"

Harry looked quickly at Lupin. He didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was Lupin talking about? He turned to look at Black again.

Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Harry glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered. Tess shrugged her shoulders.

"But then..." Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless" - Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, "- unless he was the one...unless you switched... without telling me?"

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.

"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on -?"

But he never finished the question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.

Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.

"No." Tess whispered. "Not you too."

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.

Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wild-eyed. "You - you -"

"Hermione -"

"¨You and him!"

"Hermione, calm down -"

"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you -Tess, Johnnie and I!"

"Hermione, listen to me, please" Lupin shouted. "I can explain -"

Harry could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury.

"I trusted you," he shouted at Lupin, his voice wavering, out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"

"You're my Godfather!" Tess shouted.

"You're wrong," said Lupin. "Tess, I'm still your Godfather, I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now - Let me explain..."

"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too - he's a werewolf!"

There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead. An odd shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."

"Of course he's a werewolf!" Tess exclaimed. "It's literally in his name!"

Lupin and Black looked puzzled. "My name?"

"Your last name Lupin?" Tess challenged. "It means wolf."

Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, "Get away from me, werewolf!"

"No." said Johnnie. "He didn't hurt me when I was three, and he's not gonna hurt anyone now."

"So you remember." said Lupin.

"That's what they thought about Black." Harry said lividly with anger. "Before he turned his back on his friends and became a world class ASSHOLE!"

Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"

"Ages," Hermione whispered. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay..."

"Same here." Tess said.

"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant... Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"

"Both," Hermione said quietly.

"I just looked at the name for wolf in Latin." said Tess. "Canis Lupus."

"I was wondering why the word Lupus sounded familiar before." said Johnnie.

Lupin forced a laugh.

"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione. You two Crosswells as well. It must run in the family."

"I'm not that clever." Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf," Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy -"

"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!" He was pointing at Black, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.

"I have not been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look -"

He separated Harry's, Tess, Johnnie's, Ron's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner; Harry caught his, stunned.

"There," said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"

Harry didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?

"If you haven't been helping him," Johnnie said, with a furious glance at Black, "how did you know he was here?"

"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it -"

"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.

"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony - that was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"My mother was Phoenix and Black is Padfoot." Tess clarified. Black looked at her sadly but he wasn't surprised. He didn't expect her to call him "dad".

"You wrote -?"

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet.

"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry-"

"How d'you know about the cloak?"

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it..." said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"

I couldn't believe my eyes,' said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" said Tess.

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black...I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow -"

"One of us!" Ron said angrily.

"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you."

He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.

"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"

Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and made a soft hissing noise.

Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.

"What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly.

"What d'you mean - of course he's a rat -"

"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," said Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."


	45. Chapter 45

It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Harry was thinking.

"You're both mental."

"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.

"Insipid." said Johnnie.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.

"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!"

And Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Black lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again, "WAIT! You can't do it just like that - they need to understand - we've got to explain -"

"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape. "I was going to go to America after the war was over and THIS MAN RUINED EVERYTHING!"

"They've - got - a - right - to - know - everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand, and Harry - you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"

Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.

"All right, then," Black said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for...and then...I want to get to know my daughter."

"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

"Oh no you don't." said Tess.

"Tess are you crazy?" Johnnie asked. "You wanna stay here and listen to **these** lunatics?"

"Yes they are lunatics." said Tess. "But Ron's still hurt, and Remus still my godfather and Black is still my father. We owe them our attention. Besides, if they wanted us dead, they would done it already."

Hermione sighed annoyed. "As much as it pains me to say this and it does, Tess has a point."

"Thank you Quintessa." Sirius said like a father, proud of his daughter who turned 16.

"The name's Tess, Black." She snapped at her father.

Ron tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.

"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him and pushed him back down to the bed. Then, ignoring Black, Harry turned to Lupin.

"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he said. "A whole street full of them..."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "I believed it myself - until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's map never lies...Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."

Harry looked down at Ron, and as their eyes met, they agreed, silently: Black and Lupin were both out of their minds. Their story made no sense whatsoever. How could Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew? Azkaban must have unhinged Black after all - but why was Lupin playing along with him?

Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly.

"But Professor Lupin...Scabbers can't be Pettigrew...it just can't be true, you know it can't..."

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows.

"It's probably true." said Tess. "If my mother, and...Black were unregistered Animagi, then Pettigrew must be one as well."

"Your mother was a phoenix." Harry said in understanding.

"Because…" said Hermione. "Because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework - the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things...and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."

Harry had barely had time to marvel inwardly at the effort Hermione put into her homework, when Lupin started to laugh.

"Right again, Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that here used to be four unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"Wait there's more?" Johnnie asked. "Who was number 4?"

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," said Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer. I've been seperated from my child too long."

"All right...but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin, "I only know how it began..."

Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All five of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.

"No one there..."

"This place is haunted!" said Ron.

"No it's not." said Johnnie causing everyone to looked at him surprised. "Because I know for a **fact** , that even poltergeists don't leave claw marks."

Sirius only laughed at the of-age wizard. "My, my, you really are Michael's son aren't you?"

Johnnie started to lunge at Sirius but Harry pulled him back.

"He's right,' said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted...The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me." He pushed his graying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment then said, "That's where all of this starts - with my becoming a werewolf, None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitter...and if I hadn't been so foolhardy..." He looked sober and tired.

Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione, said, "Shh!" She was watching Lupin very intently. Johnnie couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Seeing as how his own mother was a Squibb, he had no right to judge Lupin.

"I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week, preceding the full moon, I keep my human mind when I transform...I'm able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again. Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school..." Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house" - Lupin looked miserably around the room, - "the tunnel that leads to it - they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."

Harry couldn't see where this story was going, but he was listening raptly all the same. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers's frightened squeaking.

"My transformations in those days were - were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore even encouraged the rumor...Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it..."

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, four great friends. Sirius Black...Peter Pettigrew.. Tess, your mother, Morgan...and, of course, your father, Harry - James Potter."

"Now, my four friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her...I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth..."

"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" said Harry, astounded.

"Yes, indeed," said Lupin. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father, Morgan, and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong - one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will. In fact, your mother, Tess, invented a saying, which I'm sure she told you when you found out she was an Animagi."

"Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person you are." Tess recited.

"But how did that help you?" said Hermione, sounding puzzled.

"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," said Lupin. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed...Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."

"Hurry up, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.

"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there...well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, a dog, and a stag, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. Morgan could transform into a mighty Phoenix, able to carry heavy loads, heal me whenever I harmed myself, and keep aerial surveillance, although she would sneak up behind one of us and give us quite a scare once in awhile. Peter was most frightened of all. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did... And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. Morgan was Phoenix. I'm Moony. James was Prongs."

"What sort of animal -?" Harry began, but Hermione cut him off. "That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"

"A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless - carried away with our own cleverness. And after we graduated, I come across this American wizard, an amusing healer who turned out to be Morgan's little brother, Michael Crosswell."

A flash of pain crossed Johnnie's face.

"Of course, he was a bit afraid of me at first but...in time he came to accept me. I travelled to America sometimes to be a subject in his lycanthropic experiments, to find a cure. Of course, none worked. And one night, I met you, Johnathan. I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course...he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed..."

Lupin's face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. "All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus or that he was my goddaughter's biological father. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me...and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it...so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."

"Snape?" said Black harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers; for the first time in minutes and looking up at Lupin. "What's Snivellus got to do with it?"

"He's here, Sirius," said Lupin heavily. "He's teaching here as well." He looked up at Harry, Ron, Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione.

"Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons...you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me -"

Black made a derisive noise.

"It served him right," he sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to...hoping he could get us expelled..."

"Severus was very interested in where I went every month." Lupin told Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "We were in the same year, you know, and we - er - didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field...anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Morgan and Snape were sort of friendly rivals. Sirius thought it would be - er - amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it - if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf - but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life...Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was..."

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"

"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.

Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.

Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry felt as though he'd received a huge electric shock.

"Oh Shit!" Johnnie exclaimed before Tess could say her catchphrase.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..."

Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did...lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus -" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him.

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout -"

"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything - I can explain - Sirius is not here to kill Harry -"

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this...He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a tame werewolf -"

"You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.

"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred.

Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron, Tess, and Johnnie looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold on the struggling Scabbers. Hermione, however, took an uncertain step toward Snape and said, in a very breathless voice, "Professor Snape - it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?"

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Potter, Crosswells, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."

"But if - if there was a mistake -"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent.

"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

"The joke's on you again, Severus," Black snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle" - he jerked his head at Ron - "I'll come quietly..."

"Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black...pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay...I -"

What little color there was in Black's face left it.

"You -you've got to hear me out," he croaked. "The rat - look at the rat -"

But there was a mad glint in Snape's eyes that Harry had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason.

"Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him too -"

Before he knew what he was doing, Harry had crossed the room in three strides and blocked the door.

"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," snarled Snape. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin -"

"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," Harry said. "I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the Dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape. "Get out of the way, Potter."

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN -"

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black - now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POT-

He was cut short by Johnnie throwing a punch in his head, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.

"Johnnie." Hermione said breathless to the Ravenclaw student. "You just physically assaulted a teacher!"

"Oh Crap." Tess whispered.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at Johnnie.

"You should have left him to me..."

Johnnie avoided Black's eyes. He wasn't sure, even now, that he'd done the right thing.

"We attacked a teacher...We attacked a teacher..." Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble -"

Lupin was struggling against his bonds. Black bent down quickly and untied him. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them.

"Thank you, Harry," he said.

"I'm still not saying I believe you," he told Lupin.

"I agree." The 17 year old American said. "You've told us the story, but where's the evidence?"

"Then it's time we offered you some of that," said Lupin. "You, boy - give me Peter, please. Now."

Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.

"Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean..." He looked up at Harry and Hermione for support, "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat - there are millions of rats - how's he supposed to know which one he is after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, turning to Black and frowning slightly. "How did you find out where he was?"

Black put one of his claw-like hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others.

It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.

"How did you get this?" Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck.

"Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder...I knew him at once...how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts...to where Harry was..."

"My God," said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw..."

"What about it?" said Ron defiantly.

"He's got a toe missing," said Black.

"Of course." said Tess. "The only evidence ever recovered from Pettigrew's murder was his finger."

"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself - and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right -"

"Twelve years, in fact," said Black. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We - we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again..."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed.

But that wasn't right, Harry thought suddenly...Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks... ever since Ron's return from Egypt...since the time when Black had escaped...

"This cat isn't mad," said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me...Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me..."

"Just when my family couldn't get any weirder." Tess said sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.

"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't...so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me...As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table..."

Harry's brain seemed to be sagging under the weight of what he was hearing. It was absurd...and yet...

"But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it." croaked Black. "This cat - Crookshanks, did you call him? - told me Peter had left blood on the sheets...I supposed he bit himself...Well, faking his own death had worked once."

These words jolted Harry to his senses.

"And why did he fake his death?" he said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"

"No," said Lupin, "Harry-"

"And now you've come to finish him off!"

"Yes, I have," said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers.

"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Johnnie shouted.

"Harry," said Lupin hurriedly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down - but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father - Sirius tracked Peter down -"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"

"AND HE KILLED MY DAD BEFORE HE EVEN GOT THE CHANCE TO SAVE A FAMILY'S LIVES!" Johnnie yelled as well.

He was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over bright.

"Harry...I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me...I'm to blame, I know it...The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies...I realized what Peter must've done...what I'd done... His voice broke. He turned away. As for Michael, I was the one who persuaded him to come to America, to help us fight in the war, and I told him to go check on Lily and James. While that was happening and he was getting his supplies, he must have overheard Peter's plans somewhere and when he went off to warn Lily and James, Peter found him and killed him without a second thought."

"Enough of this," said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Lupin tensely.

"Force him to show himself," said Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. "Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.

Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.

"Together?" he said quietly.

"I think so", said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One - two - THREE!"

A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly - Ron yelled - the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then -

It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again. Tess stood there paralyzed with shock and Johnnie couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."

"S-Sirius...R-Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends...my old friends..."

Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. And what happened to Michael. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed -"

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so -"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Michael and Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too...You've got to help me, Remus..."

Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room.

"Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.

Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him.

"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius -" muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now.

"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said Black. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter...They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them...I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information...and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter -"

"Don't know...what you're talking about..." said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this - this madness, Remus -"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.

"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban - the spy, Sirius Black!"

Black's face contorted.

"How dare you," he growled, sounding suddenly like the bearsized dog he had been. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter - I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us...me and Remus...and James...and then Morgan came along and you clinged onto us more than ever."

Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath.

"Me, a spy...must be out of your mind...never...don't know how you can say such a -"

"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. "I thought it was the perfect plan...a bluff...Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you...It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; Harry caught words like "far-fetched" and "lunacy," but he couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen color of Pettigrew's face and the way his eyes continued to dart toward the windows and door.

"Professor Lupin?" said Hermione timidly. "Can - can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.

"Well - Scabbers - I mean, this - this man - he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"

"There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"

"I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him..."

Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.

"Er - Mr. Black - Sirius?" said Hermione.

Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.

"If you don't mind me asking, how - how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"

"Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I -"

But Lupin silenced him with a look. Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he were annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer.

"I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me...but it kept me sane and knowing who I am...helped me keep my powers...so when it all became...too much...I could transform in my cell...become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know..." He swallowed. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions...They could tell that my feelings were less - less human, less complex when I was a dog...but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand...But once in a while, I would remember, that I was a father to a little growing witch who was safe and protected and I kept thinking, that it was better that she didn't see me like this."

Tess looked downward, feeling sympathetic towards the man that was her father.

"But then I saw Peter in that picture...I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry...perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again..."

Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized.

"...ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies...and to deliver the last Potter to them. if he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors..."

"So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive..."

Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Wealsey. 'The guards say he's been talking in his sleep... always the same words... 'He's at Hogwarts.''

"It was as if someone had lit a fire In my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it...It wasn't a happy feeling...it was an obsession...but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog...It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused...I was thin, very thin...thin enough to slip through the bars...I swam as a dog back to the mainland ...I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry...and you too Tess."

He looked at Harry and Tess, who did not look away.

"One day, I came across a young man who was walking in London and I knew that I could make a cover, pull a Pettigrew if you must and become...what do the Americans say? Ah yes, man's best friend. I became Johnnie's pet. And believe me, you were an incredible owner. I did sneak into the Gryffindor Tower once but it was mostly to see my daughter. And when I found her, I cannot tell you...how many times I wanted to transform back into a person and talk with my daughter, face to face. Just to tell her how proud of her I was and I always wanted to know how much I missed out on her life, but Johnnie already did that for me. I always kept watch of you and Harry, making sure nothing happened to you two as best as I could. I once gave Mr. Malfoy quite a scare when I saw you talking to him once."

"You and Malfoy?" Ron asked repulsed.

"Uh." Tess fumbled. "We're just friends. For reals."

Harry gave her a hardcore glare with his blazing green eyes. "We're gonna have a talk about this ;ater." He said pointing her finger to her.

"Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily, nor did I kill Michael I would have died before I betrayed them. And I would never, ever hurt you Quintessa, and I loved your mother so much."

And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.

"No!"

Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's nod had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.

Tess walked towards him slowly and said, with a few tears rolling down her face, "D-D-Daddy?" He nodded, smiling a little.

"Sirius - it's me...it's Peter...your friend...you wouldn't -"

Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," said Black.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this - wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head.

"Forgive me, Remus," said Black.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"

"Of course," said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.

"You wouldn't...you won't..." gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron.

"Ron...haven't I been a good friend...a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you...you're on my side, aren't you?"

But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.

"I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.

"Kind boy...kind master..." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron "You won't let them do it...I was your rat...I was a good pet..."

"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Black harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's jeans.

"Sweet girl...clever girl...you - you won't let them...Help me..."

Hermione pulled her legs out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.

Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry.

"Harry...Harry...you look just like your father...just like him..."

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed...James would have understood, Harry...he would have shown me mercy… and oh!" He moved toward Tess. "Quintessa! You look so much like your mother, like Morgan, we were such good friends…"

Johnnie, Black and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.

"DON'T EVER LOOK AT MY COUSIN!" Johnnie yelled at him

"Oh Johnathan!" Peter whimpered. "Please I beg you-

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, who was shaking too. "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor.

"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord...you have no idea...he has weapons you can't imagine ...I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me -"

"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

"He - he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Johnnie, with a terrible fury in his face. "Only innocent lives, Peter! Mothers, fathers and children, children were left orphaned because of you!"

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Black, Johnnie and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.

"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Johnnie, you want to do this?"

"Let's do it." said the American wizard. "Tess, any objections?"

Tess took one look at the cowering man who with his eyes, begged for mercy. "Get this rat exterminated."

"It's settled then. Good-bye, Peter."

Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.

"NO!" Harry yelled. He ran forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."

Black, The Crosswells, and Lupin both looked staggered.

"Harry, this piece of bullshit is the reason you have no parents," Tess snarled. "Why me and Johnnie have had no fathers. This cringing bit of shit would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant a lot more to him than your whole family. A coward then and a coward now."

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors...He can go to Azkaban...but don't kill him."

"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You - thank you - it's more than I deserve - thank you -"

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because - I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his friends or the next generation to become killers - just for you."

No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Black, Johnnie, and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," said Black. "But think... think what he did..."

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does..."

Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him.

"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry."

Harry hesitated.

"I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."

Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

"But if you transform, Peter," growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you. You agree, Harry?"

Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him.

"Right," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.

"That's better," he said. "Thanks."

"What about Professor Snape?" said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.

"There's nothing really wrong with him," said Tess, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "Johnnie was just a little - over doing it. Still out of it. Anyone got a stretcher?"

Johnnie muttered, "Mobilicorpus." As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.

"And two of us should be chained to this," said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," said Lupin.

"And me," said Ron savagely, limping forward.

Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left. Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.


	46. Chapter 46

Harry had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Tess and Johnnie came down as well. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Harry and Hermione brought up the rear.

Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Harry went right after Black, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. Harry had the impression Black was making no effort to prevent this.

"You know what this means?" Black said abruptly to Harry as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," said Harry.

"Yes..." said Black. "But I'm also - I don't know if anyone ever told you - I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," said Harry.

"Well... your parents appointed me your guardian," said Black stiffly. "If anything happened to them..."

Harry waited. Did Black mean what he thought he meant?

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Black. "But... well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you wanted a... a different home..."

"Yeah." said Tess. "I mean, once you're free, you can start living with me and my family and Harry can join us. We'll be a family. It'll be awesome."

Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Harry's stomach.

"What - live with you?" he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Black quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd -"

"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black's. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

Black turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care.

"You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry.

Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding. The man who was a father.

"Hey Sirius." called out Johnnie.

"Yes?" He asked.

"If you're my cousin's father, does that mean you're my uncle or something?"

Sirius only let out a bark of a laugh. "If you wish it to be."

"He's serious, Sirius." Tess joked.

Sirius groaned in utter annoyance. "Not that insipid pun again. It's bad enough your mother started it. One of the things I did not miss while in Azkaban."

"Can't be any worse than James calling me Remy when we first met." said Lupin.

"Can I call you that?" Tess asked.

Remus only looked at her annoyed. "Please no."

They did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches.

Black saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for The Crosswells, Harry and Hermione to pass. At last, all of them were out.

The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. Harry's mind was buzzing. He was going to leave the Dursleys. He was going to live with Sirius Black, his parents' best friend... He felt dazed... What would happen when he told the Dursleys he was going to live with the convict they'd seen on television...!

Tess' mind was whirling. She finally had her father back, a parent at last. She never really asked for much in her life, but one of her Christmas/Birthday wishes was to see him at least once. And now, she was going to have a family once more. Oh joy of joys!

"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Black, his chin bumping on his chest. And then -

A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.

Snape collided with Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Black froze. He flung out one arm to make Harry and Hermione stop.

Harry could see Lupin's silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.

"Oh, my -" Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Black whispered. "Run. Now."

But Harry couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. He leapt forward but Black caught him around the chest and threw him back.

"Leave it to me - RUN!"

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away -

As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's side. He had transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other.

Harry stood, transfixed by the sight, too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted him -

Pettigrew had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light - and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang - Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.

"Expelliarmus." Johnnie yelled, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" He shouted, running forward.

Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Harry saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass.

There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Harry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest -

"Dad, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Tess yelled.

Black was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back, but at Harry's words he scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws faded to silence as he pounded away across the grounds.

Tess made a run for it but stopped to look back at Ron. "Make sure he's ok. I'm gonna go for my dad."

Harry, Johnnie, and Hermione dashed over to Ron.

"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered. Ron's eyes were only half-closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to recognize them.

"I don't know..."

Harry looked desperately around. Black and Lupin both gone... they had no one but Snape for company, still hanging, unconscious, in midair.

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," said Harry, pushing his hair out of his eyes, trying to think straight. "Come -"

But then, from beyond the range of their vision, they heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain...

"Sirius," Harry muttered, staring into the darkness.

He had a moment's indecision, but there was nothing they could do for Ron at the moment, and by the sound of it, Black was in trouble -

Harry set off at a run, Hermione right behind him in the same direction Tess went. The yelping seemed to be coming from the ground near the edge of the lake. They pelted toward it, and Harry, running flat out, felt the cold without realizing what it must mean -

The yelping stopped abruptly. As they reached the lakeshore, they saw why - Sirius had turned back into a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.

"Nooo," he moaned. "Nooo... please..."

Tess was trying to use the Patronus charm, but two cloaked figures were already at her and in seconds, she fell to the ground, looking like death.

And then Harry saw them. Dementors, at least a hundred of them, gliding in a black mass around the lake toward them. He spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides, fog starting to obscure his vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side; they were encircling them...

"Hermione, think of something happy!" Harry yelled, raising his wand, blinking furiously to try and clear his vision, shaking his head to rid it of the faint screaming that had started inside it -

I'm going to live with my godfather. I'm leaving the Dursleys.

He forced himself to think of Black, and only Black, and began to chant: "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"

Black gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.

He'll be all right. I'm going to go and live with him.

"Expecto patronum! Hermione, help me! Expecto patronum!"

"Expecto -" Hermione whispered, "expecto - expecto -"

But she couldn't do it. The Dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from them. They formed a solid wall around Harry and Hermione, and were getting closer...

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled, trying to blot the screaming from his ears. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand and hovered like mist before him. At the same moment, Harry felt Hermione collapse next to him. He was alone... completely alone...

"Expecto - expecto patronum -"

Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass. Fog was clouding his eyes. With a huge effort, he fought to remember - Sirius was innocent - innocent - We'll be okay - I'm going to live with him -

"Expecto patronum!" he gasped.

By the feeble light of his formless Patronus, he saw a Dementor halt, very close to him. It couldn't walk through the cloud of silver mist Harry had conjured. A dead, slimy hand slid out from under the cloak. It made a gesture as though to sweep the Patronus aside.

"No - no -" Harry gasped. "He's innocent... expecto expecto patronum -"

He could feet them watching him, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest Dementor seemed to be considering him. Then it raised both its rotting hands - and lowered its hood.

Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth... a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.

A paralyzing terror filled Harry so that he couldn't move or speak. His Patronus flickered and died.

White fog was blinding him. He had to fight... expecto patronum... he couldn't see... and in the distance, he heard the familiar screaming... expecto patronum... he groped in the mist for Sirius, and found his arm... they weren't going to take him...

But a pair of strong, clammy hands suddenly attached themselves around Harry's neck. They were forcing his face upward... He could feel its breath... It was going to get rid of him first... He could feel its putrid breath... His mother was screaming in his ears... She was going to be the last thing he ever heard -

And then, through the fog that was drowning him, he thought he saw two lights, one silver, one gold, growing brighter and brighter... He felt himself fall forward onto the grass... Facedown, too weak to move, sick and shaking, Harry opened his eyes. The Dementor must have released him. The blinding light was illuminating the grass around him...The screaming had stopped, the cold was ebbing away...

Something was driving the Dementors back... It was circling around him and Black and Hermione... They were leaving...

The air was warm again...

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Harry raised his head a few inches and saw two animals amid the light, galloping away across the lake... Eyes blurred with sweat, Harry tried to make out what they were... They were as bright as a unicorn... Fighting to stay conscious, Harry watched it can'ter to a halt as it reached the opposite shore. For a moment, Harry saw, by its brightness, two people welcoming them back... raising his hand to pat it... one who looked strangely familiar... but it couldn't be...

Harry didn't understand. He couldn't think anymore. He felt the last of his strength leave him, and his head hit the ground as he fainted.


	47. Chapter 47

"Shocking business... shocking... miracle none of them died... never heard the like... by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape..."

"Thank you, Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there... Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, and Granger, Minister..."

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape... They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now... I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves... and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster -"

"Ah, well, Snape... Harry Potter, you know... we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."

"And yet - is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended - at the very least - for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister - against all school rules - after all the precautions put in place for his protection - out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer - and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too -"

"Well, well... we shall see, Snape, we shall see... The boy has undoubtedly been foolish..."

"Not to mention that girl...I don't blame her, anyone would be innocently manipulated by their father."

Harry lay listening with his eyes tight shut. He felt very groggy. The words he was hearing seemed to be traveling very slowly from his ears to his brain, so that it was difficult to understand... His limbs felt like lead; his eyelids too heavy to lift... He wanted to lie here, on this comfortable bed, forever...

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the Dementors... you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"

"No, Minister... by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances..."

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls -"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause. Harry's brain seemed to be moving a little faster, and as it did, a gnawing sensation grew in the pit of his stomach...

He opened his eyes.

Everything was slightly blurred. Somebody had removed his glasses. He was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, he could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to him, bending over a bed. Harry squinted. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm.

Harry moved his head over on the pillow. In the bed to his right lay Hermione. Moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open too. She looked petrified, and when she saw that Harry was awake, pressed a finger to her lips, then pointed to the hospital wing door. It was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside. Johnnie was on the other side and next to him, lying peacefully, was Tess.

Madam Pomfrey now came walking briskly up the dark ward to Harry's bed. He turned to took at her. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate he had ever seen in his life. It looked like a small boulder.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly. She placed the chocolate on Harry's bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.

"How's Ron?" said Harry, Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione together.

"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "As for you four, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're - Crosswell, what do you think you're doing?"

Tess was sitting up, picking up her wand.

"I need to see the headmaster," she said.

"Crosswell," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the Kiss any moment now -"

"WHAT?!"

Harry jumped up out of bed; Hermione had done the same. But his shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.

"Quintessa what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed - has she had any chocolate?" he asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.

"Minister, you've gotta listen!" Tess said. "My dad's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that thing to My dad, he's -"

But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"Quintessa, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control..."

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Johnnie yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and -"

"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, all of them... Black's done a very good job on them..."

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter and Croswell are my patients, and he should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Tess said furiously. "If they'd just listen -"

But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into her mouth; she choked, and Pomfery seized the opportunity to force her back onto the bed.

"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave."

The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Tess swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black, my dad -"

"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist -"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter, Mr. and Miss Crosswell, and Miss Granger," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black -"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive -"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear."

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances -"

"I would like to speak to Harry, Johnathan, Quintessa, and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy - please leave us."

"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest -"

"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.

"The Dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."

He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.

"I wish to speak to Harry, Johnathan, Quintessa, and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.

Snape took a step toward Dumbledore.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.

Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to the wizards. They both burst into speech at the same time.

"Professor, Black's telling the truth - we saw Pettigrew - he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf -"

"- he's a rat -"

"- Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off -"

"- Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius -"

But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word - and the word of two thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you -" Harry said, unable to stop himself

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends -"

"But -"

"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him -"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady - entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife - without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"But you believe us." said Johnnie.

"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic..."

Harry stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath him were falling sharply away. He had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything. He had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no ... their last hope was gone. Tess snarled angrily and pounded the wall with her fist.

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from to Hermione, "is more time."

"But -" Hermione began. And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law - you know what is at stake...You - must - not - be -seen."

Harry didn't have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.

"I am going to lock you in. It is -" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"What the Rowling was that all about?" Tess asked.

"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

But Johnnie seemed to understand. "He's not talking about what I think he's talking about is he?"

But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her shirt, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.

"Guys, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"

Harry, Tess, and Johnnie moved toward her, completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out. He saw a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.

"It is." Johnnie said with his mouth agape.

"Here -"

She had thrown the chain around his neck too.

"Ready?" she said breathlessly.

"Ready." said Johnnie.

"Can I please know what the hell is going on?" Tess asked.

"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.

Hermione turned the hourglass over three times.


	48. Chapter 48

The dark ward dissolved. Harry had the sensation that he was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him, his ears were pounding, he tried to yell but couldn't hear his own voice -

And then he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again -

He was standing next to Tess, Johnnie, and Hermione in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. He looked wildly around at Hermione, the chain of the hourglass cutting into his neck.

"Hermione, what -?"

"In here!" Hermione seized Harry's arm and dragged him across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed him inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind them.

"What - how - Hermione, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off Harry's neck in the darkness. "Three hours back..."

"Tess punch me." He told her. And she did, almost dislocating his shoulder.

"OW!" He yelled rubbing his shoulder. "That hurt. I said punch me not, break a bone!"

"Hey it was you who failed to specify how hard you wanted it." said Tess.

"Oh so you need me to spell it for you?" Harry retorted.

"You wanted a punch, I gave you a punch."

"Ok enough!" Hermione said.

Tess' punch hurt a lot, which seemed to rule out the possibility that he was having a very bizarre dream.

"But -"

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think - I think it might be us!' Johnnie had his ear pressed against the cupboard door.

"Footsteps across the hall... yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"

"Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"

"Yes," said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than five people... and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak - "

She broke off, still listening intently.

"We've gone down the front steps..."

Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious, but Harry wanted a few questions answered.

"Where did you get that hourglass thing?"

"It's called a Time-Turner," Johnnie whispered. "Hermione how the hell did you get one?"

"I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies... I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see?"

"Hermione, I still don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do." said Tess. "Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help my dad?"

Harry stared at Hermione's shadowy face.

"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," Johnnie said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago..."

"This is three hours ago, and we are walking down to Hagrid's," said Hermione. "We just heard ourselves leaving..."

Harry frowned; he felt as though he were screwing up his whole brain in concentration.

"Dumbledore just said - just said we could save more than one innocent life..." And then it hit him. "Hermione, we're going to save Buckbeak!"

"But - how will that help Sirius?"

"Dumbledore said - he just told us where the window is - the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak - they can escape together!"

From what Harry could see of Hermione's face, she looked terrified.

"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Harry. He stood up and pressed his ear against the door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there... Come on, let's go."

Harry pushed open the closet door. The entrance hall was deserted. As quietly and quickly as they could, they darted out of the closet and down the stone steps. The shadows were already lengthening, the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest gilded once more with gold.

"If anyone's looking out of the window -" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.

"We'll just run for it," said Tess determinedly. "Straight into the forest. We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout -"

"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!' said Hermione breathlessly. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!"

Still working out what she meant, Harry set off at a sprint, Hermione behind him. They tore across the vegetable gardens to the greenhouses, paused for a moment behind them, then set off again, fast as they could, skirting around the Whomping Willow, tearing toward the shelter of the forest...

Safe in the shadows of the trees, Harry turned around; seconds later, Hermione arrived beside him, panting.

"Right," she gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's... Keep out of sight, Harry..."

They made their way silently through the trees, keeping to the very edge of the forest. Then, as they glimpsed the front of Hagrid's house, they heard a knock upon his door. They moved quickly behind a wide oak trunk and peered out from either side. Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. And Harry heard his own voice.

"It's us. We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered. He stood back, then shut the door quickly.

"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently. "I've gotta go in there and warn them."

"No you can't!" Hermione hissed.

"I can't just sit around and wait for something to happen." Harry said.

"You gotta and you gotta deal with it." said Johnnie. "Harry, you're in Hagrid's hut, if another Harry goes in there, the space-time continum will be ripped apart and we'll all cease to exist."

"You've been watching Back to the Future way too much." said Tess.

Johnnie gave his cousin an annoyed look. "My point is Harry is that really bad things happen when you screw with time like that. We can't be seen."

"Let's move along a bit," Hermione whispered. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!"

They crept through the trees until they saw the nervous Hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

"Now?" Harry whispered.

"No!" said Hermione. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!"

"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Tess. This was starting to seem impossible.

At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid's cabin.

"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Hermione whispered. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment -"

Sure enough, a few minutes later, they heard Hermione's shriek of surprise.

"Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "what if we - we just run in there and grab Pettigrew -"

"No!" said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody!"

But Hermione nudged him and pointed toward the castle. Harry moved his head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member, and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps.

"We're about to come out!" Hermione breathed. "Wait, why aren't we coming out?"

Johnnie then got an idea, walking up and clutching a stone. He once had been Keeper for his Quidditch Team back in America so this was a no-brainer. With all of his might, he threw the stone at Hagrid's open window and another jug crashed. The cabin wasn't far from where they were hiding. Johnnie threw another stone and it hit Harry's head.

"That hurt." said Harry. "What is this, Abuse Harry Potter Day?"

"Sorry man." said Johnnie who was now hiding again. " **Now** we're coming out."

"Stay put." said Tess.

And sure enough, moments later, Hagrid's back door opened, and Harry saw himself, Ron, Johnnie, Tess,and Hermione walking out of it with Hagrid. It was, without a doubt, the strangest sensation of his life, standing behind the tree, and watching himself in the pumpkin patch.

"It's Okay, Beaky, it's okay..." Hagrid said to Buckbeak. Then he turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Go on. Get goin'."

"Hagrid, we can't -"

"We'll tell them what really happened -"

"They can't kill him -"

"Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

Harry watched the Hermione in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over him and Ron.

"Go quick. Don' listen..."

When they passed the forest, Hermione whispered, "Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?"

"What?" The past Ron looked at Hermione.

"I thought I just saw...never mind."

There was a knock on Hagrid's front door. The execution party had arrived. Hagrid turned, around and headed back into his cabin, leaving the back door ajar. Harry watched the grass flatten in patches all around the cabin and heard three pairs of feet retreating. He, Ron, Johnnie, Tess and Hermione had gone... but the Harry and Hermione hidden in the trees could now hear what was happening inside the cabin through the back door.

"Where is the beast?" came the cold voice of Macnair.

"Out - outside," Hagrid croaked.

Harry pulled his head out of sight as Macnair's face appeared at Hagrid's window, staring out at Buckbeak. Then they heard Fudge.

"We - er - have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid. I'll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, You're supposed to listen too, that's procedure -"

Macnair's face vanished from the window. It was now or never.

"Wait here," Harry whispered to Hermione. "I'll do it."

As Fudge's voice started again, Harry darted out from behind his tree, vaulted the fence into the pumpkin patch, and approached Buckbeak.

"It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the sixth of June at sundown -"

Careful not to blink, Harry stared up into Buckbeak's fierce orange eyes once more and bowed. Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees and then stood up again. Harry began to fumble with the knot of rope tying Buckbeak to the fence.

"... sentenced to execution by beheading, to be carried out by the Committee's appointed executioner, Walden Macnair..."

"Come on, Buckbeak," Harry murmured, "come on, we're going to help you. Quietly... quietly..."

"... as witnessed below. Hagrid, you sign here..."

Harry threw all his weight onto the rope, but Buckbeak had dug in his front feet.

"Well, let's get this over with," said the reedy voice of the Committee member from inside Hagrid's cabin. "Hagrid, perhaps it will be better if you stay inside -"

"No, I - I wan' ter be with him... I don' wan' him ter be alone -"

Footsteps echoed from within the cabin.

"Buckbeak, move!" Harry hissed.

Harry tugged harder on the rope around Buckbeak's neck. The Hippogriff began to walk, rustling its wings irritably. They were still ten feet away from the forest, in plain view of Hagrid's back door. "One moment, please, Macnair," came Dumbledore's voice. "You need to sign too." The footsteps stopped. Harry heaved on the rope. Buckbeak snapped his beak and walked a little faster, thanks to Tess holding a dead ferret from the supply of Buckbeak's food.

Hermione's white face was sticking out from behind a tree.

"Harry, hurry!" she mouthed.

Harry could still hear Dumbledore's voice talking from within the cabin. He gave the rope another wrench. Buckbeak broke into a grudging trot. They had reached the trees...

"Quick! Quick!" Hermione moaned, darting out from behind her tree, seizing the rope too and adding her weight to make Buckbeak move faster. Harry looked over his shoulder; they were now blocked from sight; they couldn't see Hagrid's garden at all.

"Stop!" he whispered to Hermione. "They might hear us."

Hagrid's back door had opened with a bang. Harry, Hermione, and Buckbeak stood quite still; even the Hippogriff seemed to be listening intently. Silence... then -

"Where is it?" said the reedy voice of the Committee member. "Where is the beast?"

"It was tied here!" said the executioner furiously. "I saw it! Just here!"

"How extraordinary," said Dumbledore. There was a note of amusement in his voice.

"Beaky!" said Hagrid huskily.

There was a swishing noise, and the thud of an axe. The executioner seemed to have swung it into the fence in anger. And then came the howling, and this time they could hear Hagrid's words through his sobs.

"Gone! Gone! Bless his little beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!"

Buckbeak started to strain against the rope, trying to get back to Hagrid. Harry and Hermione tightened their grip and dug their heels into the forest floor to stop him.

"Someone untied him!" the executioner was snarling. "We should search the grounds, the forest."

"Macnair, if Buckbeak has indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot?" said Dumbledore, still sounding amused. "Search the skies, if you will... Hagrid, I could do with a cup of tea. Or a large brandy."

"O' - o' course, Professor," said Hagrid, who sounded weak with happiness. "Come in, come in..."

Harry, Johnnie, Tess, and Hermione listened closely. They heard footsteps, the soft cursing of the executioner, the snap of the door, and then silence once more.

"Now what?" whispered Harry, looking around.

"We'll have to hide in here," said Hermione, who looked very shaken. "We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window. He won't be there for another couple of hours... Oh, this is going to be difficult..."

She looked nervously over her shoulder into the depths of the forest. The sun was setting now.

"We're going to have to move," said Harry, thinking hard. "We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won't know what's going on."

"Okay," said Johnnie, getting a firmer grip on Buckbeak's rope. "But we've got to keep out of sight, guys, remember..."

They moved around the edge of the forest, darkness falling slowly and thickly around them, until they were hidden behind a clump of trees through which they could make out the Willow.

"There's Ron!" said Harry suddenly.

A dark figure was sprinting across the lawn and its shout echoed through the still night air.

"Get away from him - get away - Scabbers, come here -"

And then they saw two more figures materialize out of nowhere. Harry watched himself and Hermione chasing after Ron. Then he saw Ron dive.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat -"

"There's Sirius!" said Harry. The great shape of the dog had bounded out from the roots of the Willow. They saw him bowl Harry over, then seize on...

"Looks even worse from here, doesn't it?" said Harry, watching the dog pulling Ron into the roots. "Ouch - look, I just got walloped by the tree - and so did you - this is weird¨

The Whomping Willow was creaking and lashing out with its lower branches; they could see themselves darting here and there, trying to reach the trunk. And then the tree froze.

"That was Crookshanks pressing the knot," said Hermione.

"And there we go..." Harry muttered. "We're in."

The moment they disappeared, the tree began to move again. Seconds later, they heard footsteps quite close by. Dumbledore, Macnair, Fudge, and the old Committee member were making their way up to the castle.

"Right after we'd gone down into the passage!" said Hermione. "If only Dumbledore had come with us..."

"Macnair and Fudge would've come too," said Tess bitterly. "I bet you anything Fudge would've told Macnair to murder Dad on the spot..."

They watched the four men climb the castle steps and disappear from view. For a few minutes the scene was deserted. Then -

"Here comes Lupin!" said Johnnie as they saw another figure sprinting down the stone steps and halting toward the Willow. Harry looked up at the sky. Clouds were obscuring the moon completely.

They watched Lupin seize a broken branch from the ground and prod the knot on the trunk. The tree stopped fighting, and Lupin, too, disappeared into the gap in its roots.

"If he'd only grabbed the cloak," said Harry. "It's just lying there..."

He turned to Hermione.

"If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape'd never be able to get it and -"

"Harry, we mustn't be seen!"

"How can you stand this?" he asked Hermione fiercely. "Just standing here and watching it happen?"

"I saw my mother's charred corpse." Tess snapped. "So man up and wait."

He hesitated. "I'm going to grab the cloak!"

"Harry, no!"

Hermione seized the back of Harry's arm not a moment too soon. Just then, they heard a burst of song. It was Hagrid, making his way up to the castle, singing at the top of his voice, and weaving slightly as he walked. A large bottle was swinging from his hands.

"See?" Hermione whispered. "See what would have happened? We've got to keep out of sight! No, Buckbeak!"

The Hippogriff was making frantic attempts to get to Hagrid again; Johnnie seized his rope too, straining to hold Buckbeak back. They watched Hagrid meander tipsily up to the castle. He was gone. Buckbeak stopped fighting to get away. His head drooped sadly.

Barely two minutes later, the castle doors flew open yet again, and Snape came charging out of them, running toward the Willow.

Harry's fists clenched as they watched Snape skid to a halt next to the tree, looking around. He grabbed the cloak and held it up.

"Get your filthy hands off it," Harry snarled under his breath.

"Shh!" Johnnie said.

Snape seized the branch Lupin had used to freeze the tree, prodded the knot, and vanished from view as he put on the cloak.

"So that's it," said Hermione quietly. "We're all down there... and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again..." They sat down except for Johnnie who had to keep an eye on Buckbeak near them.

He took the end of Buckbeak's rope and tied it securely around the nearest tree, then sat down on the dry ground with them, arms around his knees.

"Harry, there's something I don't understand... Why didn't the Dementors get Dad? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out... there were so many of them..."

Harry explained what he'd seen; how, as the nearest Dementor had lowered its mouth to Harry's, a large silver and a large gold something had come galloping across the lake and forced the Dementors to retreat.

Hermione's mouth was slightly open by the time Harry had finished.

"But what was it?"

"There's only one thing it could have been, to make the Dementors go like that" said Harry. "A real Patronus. And powerful one."

"But who conjured it?"

Harry didn't say anything. He was thinking back to the person he'd seen on the other bank of the lake. He knew who he thought it had been... but how could it have been?

"Didn't you see what they looked like?" said Hermione eagerly. "Were they it two of the teachers?"

"No," said Harry. "He and the woman weren't teachers."

"But it must have been a really powerful wizard, to drive all those Dementors away... If the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn't it light him up? Couldn't you see -?"

"Yeah, I saw him," said Harry slowly. "But... maybe I imagined it... I wasn't thinking straight... I passed out right afterward..."

"Who did you think it was?"

"I think -" Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound. "I think it was my dad. And your mum Tess."

Harry glanced up at Hermione and saw that her mouth was fully open now. She was gazing at him with a mixture of alarm and pity.

"Harry, your dad's - well - dead," she said quietly. "And we know about Tess' mum."

"We know that," said Tess quickly.

"You think you saw their ghosts?" Johnnie asked

"I don't know... no... they looked solid..."

"But then -"

"Maybe I was seeing things," said Harry. "But... from what I could see... it looked like him... I've got photos of him..."

Hermione was still looking at him as though worried about his sanity. "I know it sounds crazy," said Harry flatly. He turned to look at Buckbeak, who was digging his beak into the ground, apparently searching for worms. But he wasn't really watching Buckbeak.

He was thinking about his father and about his father's four oldest friends... Moony, Phoenix, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs... Had all four of them been out on the grounds tonight? Wormtail had reappeared this evening when everyone had thought he was dead... Was it so impossible his father and Tess' mother had done the same? Had he been seeing things across the take? The figure had been too far away to see distinctly... yet he had felt sure, for a moment, before he'd lost consciousness...

The leaves overhead rustled faintly in the breeze. The moon drifted in and out of sight behind the shifting clouds. Hermione sat with her face turned toward the Willow, waiting.

And then, at last, after over an hour...

"Here we come!" Hermione whispered.

They all got to their feet. Buckbeak raised his head. They saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Hermione... then the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Johnnie with Tess, Harry and Black. They all began to walk toward the castle.

Harry's heart was starting to beat very fast. He glanced up at the sky. Any moment now, that cloud was going to move aside and show the moon...

"Harry," Hermione muttered as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, "we've got to stay put. We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do..."

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again..." said Tess quietly.

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" snapped Johnnie. "There ain't nothing we can do! We came back to help Sirius; we're can't supposed to be doing anything else!"

"All right!"

The moon slid out from behind its cloud. They saw the tiny figures across the grounds stop. Then they saw movement -

"There goes Lupin," Hermione whispered. "He's transforming."

"Hermione!" said Harry suddenly. "We've got to move!"

"We mustn't, I keep telling you -"

"Not to interfere! Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!"

Hermione gasped.

"Quick!" she moaned, dashing to untie Buckbeak. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The Dementors will be coming any moment -"

"Back to Hagrid's!" Tess said. "It's empty now - come on!"

They ran as fast as they could, Buckbeak cantering along behind them. They could hear the werewolf howling behind them...

The cabin was in sight; Harry skidded to the door, wrenched it open, and Hermione and Buckbeak flashed past him; Johnnie threw himself in after them and bolted the door. Fang the boarhound barked loudly.

"Shh, Fang, it's us!" said Hermione, hurrying over and scratching his ears to quieten him. "That was really close!" she said to Harry.

"Yeah..."

Harry was looking out of the window. It was much harder to see what was going on from here. Buckbeak seemed very happy to find himself back inside Hagrid's house. He lay down in front of the fire, folded his wings contentedly, and seemed ready for a good nap.

"I think I'd better go outside again, you know," said Harry slowly. "I can't see what's going on - we won't know when it's time -"

"I'm coming with you." said Tess.

Hermione looked up. Her expression was suspicious.

"I'm not going to try and interfere," said Harry quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?"

"My dad's out there." Tess added on.

"Well... okay, then... I'll wait here with Buckbeak... but Harry, be careful - there's a werewolf out there - and the Dementors."

"I'll stay here and watch Hermione." said Johnnie. "Please be careful guys."

Harry stepped outside again and edged around the cabin. He could hear yelping in the distance. That meant the Dementors were closing in on Sirius and Tess... He and Hermione would be running to him any moment...

Harry stared out toward the lake, his heart doing a kind of drumroll in his chest... Whoever had sent that Patronus would be appearing at any moment...

For a fraction of a second he stood, irresolute, in front of Hagrid's door. You must not be seen. But he didn't want to be seen. He wanted to do the seeing... He had to know...

And there were the Dementors. They were emerging out of the darkness from every direction, gliding around the edges of the lake... They were moving away from where Harry and Tess stood, to the opposite bank... He wouldn't have to get near them...

Harry and Tess began to run. He had no thought in his head except his father... If it was him... if it really was him... he had to know, had to find out...

Tess had only one thought on her head, her father. She lost him once and she wasn't going to do it again.

The lake was coming nearer and nearer, but there was no sign of anybody. On the opposite bank, he could see tiny glimmers of silver - his own attempts at a Patronus -

There was a bush at the very edge of the water. Harry threw himself behind it, peering desperately through the leaves. On the opposite bank, the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished. A terrified excitement shot through him - any moment now -

"Come on!" he muttered, staring about. "Where are you? Dad, come on -"

"Harry listen to me." said Tess disappointed. "No one is coming."

"No Tess." said Harry. "We've got to wait for the right moment."

But no one came. Harry raised his head to look at the circle of Dementors across the lake. One of them was lowering its hood. It was time for the rescuer to appear - but no one was coming to help this time -

And then it hit him - he understood. He hadn't seen his father he had seen himself -

Harry and Tess flung himself out from behind the bush, and pulled out their wands.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM! " they yelled in perfect unison.

And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. Out of Tess, came a golden figure that looked like a wolf but at the same time, a dog. It looked at Tess with knowing eyes and nodded slightly before turning to Harry's Patronus. He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was. It looked like a horse. The figures were galloping silently away from them, across the black surface of the lake. They saw them lower its head and charge at the swarming Dementors... Now Harry's Patronus was galloping around and around the black shapes on the ground, Tess' was chasing them like a predator chasing it's prey and the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness... They were gone.

The Patronus' turned. It was cantering back toward Tess and Harry across the still surface of the water. It wasn't a horse. It wasn't a unicorn, either. It was a stag. The other was running towards Tess and she could now tell what it was.

"A coyote." She whispered in awe.

The stag was shining brightly as the moon above and the coyote like the sun ... it was coming back to him...

It stopped on the bank. Its hooves made no mark on the soft ground as it stared at Harry with its large, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head. And Harry realized... "Prongs," he whispered.

But as his trembling fingertips stretched toward the creature, it vanished.

Harry stood there, hand still outstretched. Then, with a great leap of his heart, he heard hooves behind him. He whirled around and saw Johnnie and Hermione dashing toward him, dragging Buckbeak behind her.

"What did you two do?" she said fiercely. "You both said you were only going to keep a lookout!"

"We both just saved all our lives..." said Harry. "Get behind here behind this bush - I'll explain."

Hermione listened to what had just happened with her mouth open yet again.

"Did anyone see you?"

"Yes, haven't you been listening? I saw me but I thought I was my dad! It's okay!"

"Harry, Tess I can't believe it... You both conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those Dementors! That's very, very advanced magic."

"I knew I could do it this time," said Harry, "because I'd already done it... Does that make sense?"

"I don't know - Harry, look at Snape!"

Together they peered around the bush at the other bank. Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and lifting the limp forms of Harry, Tess, Hermione, and Black onto them. A fourth stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then, wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle. Johnnie was already knocked out.

"Right, it's nearly time," said Hermione tensely, looking at her watch. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing..."

They waited, watching the moving clouds reflected in the lake, while the bush next to them whispered in the breeze. Buckbeak, bored, was ferreting for worms again.

"Do you reckon he's up there yet?" said Harry, checking his watch. He looked up at the castle and began counting the windows to the right of the West Tower.

"Look!" Tess whispered. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

Harry stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.

"Macnair!" said Harry. "The executioner! He's gone to get the Dementors! This is it, Hermione -"

Hermione put her hands on Buckbeak's back and Harry gave her a leg up. Then he placed his foot on one of the lower branches of the bush and climbed up in front of her. He pulled Buckbeak's rope back over his neck and tied it to the other side of his collar like reins.

"Ready?" he whispered to Tess, Johnnie, Hermione. "You'd better hold on to me -"

He nudged Buckbeak's sides with his heels.

Buckbeak soared straight into the dark air. Harry gripped his flanks with his knees, feeling the great wings rising powerfully beneath them. Hermione was holding Harry very tight around the waist; he could hear her muttering, "Oh, no - I don't like this oh, I really don't like this -"

"This is so cool!" Tess exclaimed.

Harry urged Buckbeak forward. They were gliding quietly toward the upper floors of the castle... Harry pulled hard on the left-hand side of the rope, and Buckbeak turned. Harry was trying to count the windows flashing past -

"Whoa!" he said, pulling backward as hard as he could.

Buckbeak slowed down and they found themselves at a stop, unless you counted the fact that they kept rising up and down several feet as the Hippogriff beat his wings to remain airborne.

"He's there!" Harry said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window. He reached out, and as Buckbeak's wings fell, was able to tap sharply on the glass.

Black looked up. Harry saw his jaw drop. He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back!" Johnnie called to him, and he took out her wand, still gripping the back of Tess with his left hand.

"Alohomora!"

The window sprang open.

Black placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling one leg over Buckbeak's back and pull himself onto the Hippogriff behind Hermione.

"Okay, Buckbeak, up!" said Harry, shaking the rope. "Up to the tower - come on."

The Hippogriff gave one sweep of its mighty wings and they were soaring upward again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements, and Harry and Hermione slid off him at once.

"I owe you lot many thanks." said Sirius.

"I want to come with you." said Harry.

"Another day perhaps." said Sirius. "Besides, you and Tess are needed here."

"But you're innocent." said Harry.

"And you know it."

"Dad." Tess said softley. "We never wanted to be on the run. Mom and me, we wanted you. I wanted a father and I still do. Please come home."

"You know, the last time I spoke to your mother, I said this to her, "I know you're going and probably never coming back. But when you have the baby, I think you should name her Quintessa." I missed out on my chance with you and I am so sorry for that. But right now, it isn't safe for me or you to be together. Johnathan, Harry, Tess, I know you're probably tired of hearing this, but you all look so much like your parents. Harry though doesn't have his eyes."

"My mother's eyes." Harry answered quickly.

"It's cruel I got to spend so much time with all of your parents and you so little." He said, looking down at them like a real father. "But know this children, the ones who love us never really leave us, you can always find them." He pointed to his heart. "In here."

"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Hermione said. "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you're gone."

Buckbeak pawed the ground, tossing his sharp head.

"What happened to the other boy? Ron?" croaked Sirius.

"He's going to be okay. He's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better. Quick - go -"

But Black was still because of Tess holding his arm. "Don't leave."

"I have to." He said to his daughter. "If you love someone, you have to let them go." He turned to Hermione. "You really are, the brightest witch of your age."

"GO!" Harry and Hermione shouted together.

He squeezed Buckbeak's sides with his heels. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more... The Hippogriff took off into the air... He and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them... then a cloud drifted across the moon... They were gone.


	49. Chapter 49

"Tess!"

Hermione was tugging at her sleeve, staring at her watch. "We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us - before Dumbledore locks the door -"

"Okay," said Tess, wrenching her gaze from the sky, "let's go..."

They slipped through the doorway behind them and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. They flattened themselves against the wall and listened. It sounded like Fudge and Snape. They were walking quickly along the corridor at the foot of the staircase.

"... only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the Dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the Daily Prophet that we've got him at last... I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape... and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the Prophet exactly how you saved him..."

Harry clenched his teeth. He caught a glimpse of Snape's smirk as he and Fudge passed Harry, Johnnie, Tess, and Hermione's hiding place. Their footsteps died away. Harry and Hermione waited a few moments to make sure they'd really gone, then started to run in the opposite direction. Down one staircase, then another, along a new corridor - then they heard a cackling ahead.

"Peeves!" Harry muttered, grabbing Hermione's wrist. "In here!"

They tore into a deserted classroom to their left just in time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in boisterous good spirits, laughing his head off.

"Oh, he's horrible," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "I bet he's all excited because the Dementors are going to finish off Sirius..." She checked her watch. "Three minutes, Harry!"

They waited until Peeves's gloating voice had faded into the distance, then slid back out of the room and broke into a run again.

"Hermione - what'll happen - if we don't get back inside before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry panted.

"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione moaned, checking her watch again. "One minute!"

They had reached the end of the corridor with the hospital wing entrance. "Okay - I can hear Dumbledore," said Hermione tensely. "Come on, Harry!"

They crept along the corridor. The door opened. Dumbledore's back appeared.

"I am going to lock you in," they heard him saying. "it is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Panicking, Harry, Johnnie, Tess, and Hermione ran forward. Dumbledore looked up, and a wide smile appeared under the long silver mustache. "Well?" he said quietly.

"We did it!" said Harry breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak..."

Dumbledore beamed at them.

"Well done. I think -" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone too - get inside - I'll lock you in -"

Harry and Hermione slipped back inside the dormitory. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, Harry, The Crosswells, and Hermione crept back to their own beds, Hermione tucking the Time-Turner back under her robes. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?"

She was in a very bad mood. Harry and Hermione thought it best to accept their chocolate quietly. Tess and Johnnie were both pretending to be asleep. Madam Pomfrey stood over them, making sure they ate it. But Harry could hardly swallow. He and Hermione were waiting, listening, their nerves jangling... And then, as they both took a fourth piece of chocolate from Madam Pomfrey, they heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them...

"What was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.

"Really - they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

"Whazzhat?" Tess 'woke up' groggily, rubbing her eyes. If they had not just gone back in time, Hermione would have been impressed with the American witch's acting. She assumed it came with living in a city such as New York.

Harry was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer -

"He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out -"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS - HAS - SOMETHING - TO - DO - WITH - POTTER AND CROSSWELL!"

"Severus - be reasonable - those two has been locked up -"

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.

"OUT WITH IT, YOU TWO!" he bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "Control yourself!"

"Whas going on?" Johnnie asked convincingly. "I'm trying to get my rest."

"Exactly!" Pomfrey said vividly. "These children have been through much!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," said Fudge. "This door's been locked, we just saw -"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at Harry, Johnnie, Tess, and Hermione. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER OR CROSSWELL!" shrieked Snape. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT -"

"That will do, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "I would have heard them!"

"Which of us did something again?" Tess asked, convincing everyone that she had no idea what Snape was talking about.

"One of you, and I know it's you Quintessa, released Black illegally." Snape said marching towards her. "And you will **not** get away with this."

"That is a libelous accusation and I suggest you retract it immediately." said Johnnie, acting annoyed. "You have no proof. Now can you please calm down so we can all get our rest and get ready for this year to end?"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Johnnie, Quintessa, and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."

Snape stood there, seething, starting from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," said Fudge, staring after him. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," said Dumbledore quietly. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment from Mr. Crosswell point, that he has no proof of his word."

"He's not the only one who's having a bad day!" puffed Fudge. "The Daily Prophet's going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that Hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well... I'd better go and notify the Ministry..."

"And the Dementors?" said Dumbledore. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy... Completely out of control... no, I'll have them packed off back to Azkaban tonight ... Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance..."

"Hagrid would like that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry and Hermione. As he and Fudge left the dormitory, Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

When she was gone, the two Crosswells gave each other a high five.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. They could see him sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.

"What - what happened?" he groaned. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

Harry, Tess, Johnnie and Hermione looked at each other.

"You explain," said Tess, helping herself to some more chocolate.


	50. Chapter 50

When Harry, Johnnie, Tess, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Neither Ron nor Hermione felt like going, however, so they and Harry wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Tess had gone with Johnnie to buy his suit. The graduation ball was nearing closer and closer and Johnnie finally had the chance to ask out a fellow Ravenclaw girl to the Graduation Ball that was in a week. Percy had already asked out Penelope Clearwater. The Graduation Ceremony was in 2 weeks and Johnnie had passed his NEWTs with flying colors. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water, Harry lost the thread of the conversation as he looked across to the opposite bank. The stag had galloped toward him from there just last night...

A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his tablecloth-sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," he said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an, everythin' - but guess what?"

"What?" they said, pretending to look curious.

"Beaky! He escaped! He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"

"That's wonderful!" said Hermione, giving Ron a reproving look because he looked as though he was close to laughing.

"Yeah... can't've tied him up properly," said Hagrid, gazing happily out over the grounds. "I was worried this mornin', mind... thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night..."

"What?" said Harry quickly.

"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. "Er - Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'... Thought everyone'd know by now... Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night... He's packin' now, o' course."

"He's packing?" said Harry, alarmed. "Why?"

"Leavin', isn' he?" said Hagrid, looking surprised that Harry had to ask. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin again."

Harry scrambled to his feet.

"I'm going to see him," he said to Ron and Hermione.

"But if he's resigned -"

"¨Doesn't sound like there's anything we can do -"

"I don't care. I still want to see him. I'll meet you back here."

On his way, he saw Tess going up the stairs to Lupin's office, the door was already open.

Tess had heard nice jazz along the way and looked in, to find that Lupin had already packed most of his things. The Grindylow's empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something near the fireplace.

"Hello Quintessa." Lupin said turning around. He had some bags under his eyes and looked pale. "I heard you coming. As well as this." He pointed to the Marauder's Map on his desk.

"Heard?" Tess asked before remembering. "Right. Superhearing. Not that I don't know what you've been through but are you ok?"

"Don't worry." said Lupin. "It's only worse on the actual day of the full moon. Hello Harry"

Tess turned around and saw Harry come in. "I just saw Hagrid. And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is," said Lupin. He started opening his desk drawers and taking out the contents.

"You committed job-suicide?" Tess asked worried.

"Why?" said Harry. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?"

Lupin crossed to the door and closed it behind Harry.

"No. Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives." He sighed. "That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he - er - accidentally let slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."

"I think the word accidentally means on purpose." said Tess.

"You're not leaving just because of that!" said Harry.

Lupin smiled wryly.

"This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents... They will not want a werewolf teaching their children, Harry. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you... That must never happen again."

"Doesn't matter what you are. You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" said Harry. "Don't go!"

Lupin shook his head and didn't speak.

"Please." said Tess. "We can think of something."

He carried on emptying his drawers. Then, while Harry was trying to think of a good argument to make him stay, Lupin said, "From what the headmaster told me this morning, you both saved a lot of lives last night. If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you've both learned... Tell me about your Patronus'."

"How d'you know about that?" said Harry and Tess in unison, distracted.

"What else could have driven the Dementors back?"

Harry told Lupin what had happened. When he'd finished, Lupin was smiling again.

"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed," he said. "You guessed right... that's why we called him Prongs. As for you Quintessa, I have never heard of a Patronus being gold, while all others are silver."

"What's that mean?" Tess asked.

"I think it means that you may have more hidden talent in there." He said pointing to her. "And you said it was a coyote. I've never seen one before, though I've heard of one."

"You haven't seen one because they're only native to North and Central America." said Tess.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes really." said Tess. "There are no coyotes anywhere in Europe."

Lupin threw his last few books into his case, closed the desk drawers, and turned to look at Harry.

"Here - I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night," he said, handing Harry back the Invisibility Cloak. "And..." He hesitated, then held out the Marauder's Map too. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Ron, Tess, and Hermione will find uses for it."

Harry took the map and grinned.

"You told me Moony, Wormtail, Phoenix, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school... you said they'd have thought it was funny."

"And so we would have," said Lupin, now reaching down to close his case. "I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle. Morgan though might have not allowed you until you were 15. Well - good-bye, you two. It has been a real pleasure teaching you both and tell Johnathan I wish him luck. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime. Until then, Mischief Managed." He waved his wand and the map faded away to a regular piece of parchment.

Harry had the impression that Lupin wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

Harry sat down in his vacated chair, staring glumly at the floor. He heard the door close and looked up.

"I'll meet you later." said Tess.

"Tess." He called out and the blonde witch stopped. "Wait." He walked up to her and handed her the faded Map. "I think you should have this."

"What about you?" She said. "Don't you need this?"

"Tess." He said to her. "I've got my dad's Invisibility Cloak. Your dad is the one who helped make this map. I think it's fair to say that each of us should get a share in our inheritances, one Marauder child to the next."

He handed her the map and she stuffed it in her pocket and hugged him. "And I forgive you for what you did this year." She let go but then put him in a headlock. "But don't be a lying dick again."

With what was left in his air supply he grabbed her wrist and pushed her back. "Looks like the remaining adrenaline is paying off."

"Oh save it." said Tess. "You're learning something. But I can still kick your ass."

"You wish." He pushed her a little that caused her to laugh a little.


	51. Chapter 51

Nobody at Hogwarts now knew the truth of what had happened the night that Sirius, Buckbeak, and Pettigrew had vanished except Harry, Tess, Johnnie, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Dumbledore. As the end of term approached, Harry heard many different theories about what had really happened, but none of them came close to the truth.

 

Malfoy was furious about Buckbeak. He was convinced that Hagrid had found a way of smuggling the Hippogriff to safety, and seemed outraged that he and his father had been outwitted by a gamekeeper. But the person who was even more furious was Johnnie.

 

“They send Black to prison without a fair trial?!” He shouted. “What kind of justice system does this country run?” 

 

From the minute he received his diploma, he vowed to make this right, by attending the Irish Academy of Law, to begin his career as an attorney.

 

Percy Weasley, meanwhile, had much to say on the subject of Sirius's escape.

 

"If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about Magical Law Enforcement!" he told the only person who would listen -- his girlfriend, Penelope.

 

Though the weather was perfect, though the atmosphere was so cheerful, though he knew they had achieved the near impossible in helping Sirius to freedom, Harry had never approached the end of a school year in worse spirits.

 

He certainly wasn't the only one who was sorry to see Professor Lupin go. The whole of Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts class was miserable about his resignation.

 

"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" said Seamus Finnigan gloomily.

 

"Maybe a vampire," suggested Dean Thomas hopefully.

 

It wasn't only Professor Lupin's departure that was weighing on Harry's mind. He couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Trelawney's prediction. He kept wondering where Pettigrew was now, whether he had sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet. But the thing that was lowering Harry's spirits most of all was the prospect of returning to the Dursleys. For maybe half an hour, a glorious half hour, he had believed he would be living with Sirius from now on...his parents' best friend...It would have been the next best thing to having his own father back. And while no news of Sirius was definitely good news, because it meant he had successfully gone into hiding, Harry couldn't help feeling miserable when he thought of the home he might have had, and the fact that it was now impossible.

 

Tess was however still waiting news from her father. She understood why he had to leave and that it would put him at risk if he wrote to her but she still missed him.

 

The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry, Tess, Ron, and Hermione had passed every subject. Both Harry and Tess were amazed that each had got through Potions. He had a shrewd suspicion that Dumbledore might have stepped in to stop Snape failing them on purpose. Snape's behavior toward the two teenagers over the past week had been quite alarming. Harry wouldn't have thought it possible that Snape's dislike for him could increase, but it certainly had. Tess wasn’t too surprised since she hated him anyway. A muscle twitched unpleasantly at the corner of Snape's thin mouth every time he looked at them, and he was constantly flexing his fingers, as though itching to place them around Harry or Tess’ throats.

 

Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s; Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each. Gryffindor House, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House championship for the third year running. This meant that the end of term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated. Even Harry managed to forget about the journey back to the Dursleys the next day as he ate, drank, talked, and laughed with the rest.

 

But just as Tess went to bed that night, a sense of dread filled her heart. Johnnie may be off to college, but she and Aunt Sara were broke and couldn’t stay in the Leaky Cauldron forever, even if she had acquired a job at the Ministry of Magic. They needed a place to live-permenantly.

 

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione gave Harry and Ron some surprising news.

 

"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."

 

"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" said Ron.

 

“How is that even possible?” Tess asked.

 

"I know," sighed Hermione, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."

 

"I still can't believe you didn't tell us about it," said Ron grumpily. "We're supposed to be your friends."

 

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone," said Hermione severely. She looked around at Harry, who was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain. Two whole months before he'd see it again....

 

"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" said Hermione sadly.

 

"I'm okay," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about the holidays."

 

"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," said Ron. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now --"

 

"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione. "Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year...."

 

Ron ignored her. Tess wasn’t faring any better even though Ron had offered to her that Sara and her could come and stay at the Burrow, but Tess said that she didn’t want to put pressure on Mrs. Weasley.

 

"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."

 

This proposal had the effect of cheering Harry up a great deal.

 

"Yeah... I bet the Dursleys'd be pleased to let me come... especially after what I did to Aunt Marge...."

 

Feeling considerably more cheerful, Harry joined Tess, Ron and Hermione in several games of Exploding Snap, and when the witch with the tea cart arrived, he bought himself a very large lunch, though nothing with chocolate in it.

 

But it was late in the afternoon before the thing that made him truly happy turned up....

 

"Harry," said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder. "What's that thing outside your window?"

 

Harry turned to look outside. Something very small and gray was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass. He stood up for a better look and saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that was much too big for it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream. Harry quickly pulled down the window, stretched out his arm, and caught it. It felt like a very fluffy Snitch. He brought it carefully inside.

 

The owl dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around their compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way.

 

Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He ripped open the letter, and shouted, "It's from Sirius!"

 

“It’s D-him!” Tess said quickly thinking not to use the word Dad, in case someone outside was listening.

 

"What?" said Ron and Hermione excitedly. "Read it aloud!"

 

Dear Harry,

 

I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post.

Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job.

I believe the Dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted.

There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt --

 

"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you it was from him!"

 

"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" said Ron. "Ouch!" The tiny owl now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way.

 

¨Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather.

I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.

I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.

If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me.

I'll write again soon.

Sirius

Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there. He read it through quickly and felt suddenly as warm and contented as though he'd swallowed a bottle of hot butterbeer in one gulp.

 

I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends. "That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" said Harry happily. He looked back at Sirius's letter. "Hang on, there's a PS...."

 

I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat.

Ron's eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly. "Keep him?" he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to Harry's and Hermione's great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.

 

"What do you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"

 

Crookshanks purred.

 

"That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine."

 

“Wait.” said Harry, handing Tess another letter. “It’s for you.”

 

Tess opened it with trembling fingers and read,

 

Quintessa,

 

You finding this means I am long gone and well beyond your reach of owl. I am so sorry but for now I have to remain in hiding. I didn’t want you to find out like this but destiny is not so easy to run from. A little birdie told me that your family is looking for a place to live and you are, as the Americans can put it, “broke”. Not to worry. Go to Gringotts and tell them that you are the sole heir of the Black Family. They’ll have a failsafe for you there for when you collect your inheritance.

 

Tell your cousin I wish him the best of luck and thank you for being a wonderful caretaker when I was his pet.

 

And I love you, so much.

 

Sirius.

 

“Tess?” Ron asked. “Are you crying?”

 

“No numbnuts.” Tess said, wiping a tear. “It’s just an eyelash.”

 

Both Harry and Tess read and reread their letters from Sirius all the way back into King's Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, Tess, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters. Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting, his worst suspicions about them seemed confirmed.

 

"I'll call about the World Cup!" Ron yelled after Harry as Harry bid him, Tess and Hermione good-bye, then wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig's cage toward Uncle Vernon, who greeted him in his usual fashion.

 

"What's that?" he snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. "If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another --"

 

"It's not," said Harry cheerfully. "It's a letter from my godfather."

 

"Godfather?" sputtered Uncle Vernon. "You haven't got a godfather!"

 

"Yes, I have," said Harry brightly. "He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though ... keep up with my news ... check if I'm happy ..."

 

And, grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon's face, Harry set off toward the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.


End file.
